Siblings
by lumberjack15
Summary: Dr. Weir didn't think she'd end up playing 'mother' in another galaxy, but when John's little sister joins his team the bickering begins. To John, Claire's the biggest brat in the galaxy but to Ronon, she's the most attractive. Aside from working and getting closer to Ronon... why not piss off big brother as well? Ronon/OC. Warning for language.
1. Ch 1 Welcome

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 1**_

"So," Lieutenant Cornel John Sheppard looked at me amusingly, "first time through the gate, huh?"

My knuckles were white as I held my bag tightly, all color had drained from my face and I was clutching my chest as I began to hyperventilate. "Oh my god I am NEVER doing that again." I shut my eyes and began taking slow, deep, breathes in an attempt to slow my breathing.

John laughed lightly, "You'll get used to it."

"What, you mean I have to do that again?!" I spun around looking at the rest of the new recruits, "how are they so calm?! That was freaky as shit!"

"It's ooooookay, just breathe kiddo," John had a hold of my shoulders as he spoke. He and McKay handpicked me back on earth; top of my class in Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Ancient Studies. Plus I'm not bad with a hand-gun. Gate travel however seems to be my Achilles heel.

"Kiddo? Really? You're gunna call me _kiddo_?" I looked back at him incredulously as he shrugged, "youngest one, only seems right."

"Ugh." Throwing my head back as I sighed in frustration was a bad idea. An immediate wave of dizziness slammed my brain and my vision went black as I felt myself start to wobble. I ended up flopping down into an awkward seating position on the ground and sat there a moment;_ note to self: do not throw head back when already feeling nauseous._

When my eyes opened again and vision had returned I saw John in front of me, eyebrows disappearing under his shaggy hair and an amused expression plastered onto his face, "really? You feinted?"

"I didn't feint! I simply sat down in frustration."

"You feinted."

"I did not!"

Dr. Weir walked over, "alright, alright that's enough. I don't want to have to play Mother here. John, you said you guys could keep the childish bickering to a minimum."

I glared at my big brother as I stood up and regained my composure, "I apologize on my behalf Dr. Weir." I spoke as civil and grown up as possible, despite my inner frustration.

John glared at me, "Oh sure, be all mature and make me look like the bad guy."

"Well you are! You're the one patronizing me and arguing that-" he cut me off.

"Me?! You won't even admit to _feinting_ how is _THAT _mature?! It's just a simple comment-"

"I DIDN'T FEINT."

"ENOUGH!" Everything went silent, "Both of you, drop it." John and I both looked away in embarrassment as Dr. Weir continued to speak. "John. You're Team Leader, show some maturity will you? And Claire, please don't make me regret this decision."

"Yes ma'am. And thank you for the opportunity to join your expedition." I mumbled, feeling rather embarrassed. I've only been on Atlantis 5 minutes and I'm already being reprimanded.

"You're welcome; and both of you _please _try and get along?" Weir glared at both of us as she begged for our maturity before walking away.

John and I stood stalk still, staring off as her form disappeared from view.

"You started it." John mumbled out of the corner of his mouth just before I glared at him and punched him lightly in the shoulder, "You suck."

"That punch was pathetic."

"Ohhhhh my god I hate you so much." I grabbed my bags off the ground and began marching forward before I realized I have no idea where to go, "hey… John?"

"Yea, yea, I'll show you to your room." I tripped slightly as he pushed me playfully ahead of him, "this way."


	2. Ch 2 My First Flying Lesson

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 2**_

I sat alone in the cafeteria as I ate my turkey sandwich; I wanted pasta. Not long after I had sat down I was joined by John and his little troop.

"Guys, this is the baby of the team, Claire." John sat down across from me before continuing his half-assed introduction, "Claire," he motioned around him, "the guys. Well, _the guys_ minus Ronon; he's off punching things or whatever it is he does in his spare time." He waved off the topic and looked at his food excitedly.

I choked on my sandwich as I spoke, "hey."

"Claire don't talk with your mouth full." He leaned towards Teyla and spoke quietly, "she's always done that. No matter how many times mom's told her, she always-"

"John!" I choked back as I swallowed my mouthful of turkey, tomato and bread and kicked his shins under the table. "You ass," I turned to Teyla, "I have _not _always done that. He caught me off guard, that's all."

"I am sure that is all," Teyla looked confused between John and I as she got comfortable in her chair. "I am Teyla, it is nice to meet you Claire."

"Hi Teyla," I stuck out my hand to shake hers but it got smacked away instead. "OWE! What the hell dude?!"

"Your hands are sticky." John didn't even look up as he spoke.

"I hate you." I glared.

"I know." He smiled.

I sighed frustrated before I gave up and mumbled out, "Nice to meet you Teyla." Then turned my head to the right slightly, "hey Rodney," he lifted an arm lazily in acknowledgment before I went back to my sandwich.

Rodney and I had worked together on several occasions back on Earth; we're a pretty friendly team in public but in the lab we pretty much want to kill each other. Our final results are always beauty solutions but the time spent getting there is torture. I've probably wanted to rip his head off approximately 458,976 times in total now.

"So I'm takin' ya out today," John spoke casually as my head snapped up, "what?! Like through the Stargate?!" My eyes went wide as I shuddered at the thought.

"No, loser. I'm takin' ya out in the Puddle Jumper, teach ya how to fly the thing."

"Oh," only then did I realize I'd been holding my breath. "Wait, _fly_?"

"Ya. Spaceships fly. Surprise!" John waved his hands in the air mocking me.

I glared. "I can't believe I'm related to you."

"I know, I definitely got the looks and the brains."

"BRAINS!? HAH!" I tossed my head back pretending to laugh. "Pretty sure I got the brains there pretty boy."

"So you admit I got the looks!"

"I admit you got the cocky personality and that you're clearly cross-eyed so badly that when you look in the mirror every morning you think you're seeing some-" Dr. Weir was walking towards the table on her way through the cafeteria and I immediately switched tones from _annoying little sister _to _loving family member_, "-some dashing young soldier with the maturity and respect of a-" aaaaaand she's gone, "-of a warthog." I stopped, "also your hair looks stupid."

John sat still staring at me, thinking about how to respond.

"Most of that made absolutely no sense but I will commend you on that nice cover; however I will defend my hair, it looks _awesome_, thank you."

"You're such a loser."

Teyla looked back and forth between us incredibly confused by the sudden switch of behaviour between us. Rodney's used to it.

"Anyways," John straightened up in his seat, "I'm taking you out later. Meet me in an hour in the Jumper Bay."

"Fine." I paused. "Where is the Jumper Bay?"

John stared at me and sighed, "Never mind, just meet me here, retard."

I glared as I stood up, "fine." I picked up my tray to leave, "Nice to meet you Teyla; Rodney, good to see ya," I looked at my scruffy brother and drawled out my goodbye, "John…. Always a pleasure."

**XXXXX**

I, like my dear brother, possess the gene. Which was another selling point for my being chosen to join the expedition; personally, I could do without it. Too much responsibility.

**XXXXX**

John shifted awkwardly in his seat, "so, you think you got the nerves to fly this thing? Or are ya gunna keep sittin' there for another 5 minutes staring at the controls."

I continued to look down at the controls and contemplated the question and the challenge ahead, "I guess we're about to find out right?"

John frowned in partial fear for his life, "If you kill me, I swear I will come back from my grave and attack you."

"No promises," my hands were shaking as I looked at my brother for some moral support.

"Well, let's get this goin'." He ushered me on with a wave of his hands before he noticed the sincerity in my hunt for support. He let out a light sigh and smacked his hands down onto his knees and with a bright smile he gave me a rare shred of sibling-hope, "don't worry, easy peasy!"

**One Hour Later**

"So…" I shrunk into the seat feeling ashamed, nervous and very awkward, "how'd I do?"

John sat perfectly still, contemplating the nicest way to respond, "Well, you crashed the Jumper... Into an Athosian settlement... So I'd have to give you an F so far."

I huffed as I once again threw my head back in frustration.

"Maybe we'll try again tomorrow."

"No. Nuh uh, I am never ever, ever doing this again. Who knows what else I'll destroy!?"

John took a deep breath to calm himself as he attempted to keep his promise to Dr. Weir and not bicker. "How 'bout I just fly us back."

I looked through the front window at the destroyed home and the very confused, angry, Athosian's. "Deal, and maybe let's get outta here as fast as we can before I get beat up?"

"Probably a good idea." John coughed as he booted up the partially damaged Jumper.

I slumped into my seat, "ugh. I've been here ONE day and I've already destroyed someone's home AND damaged an Ancient spaceship! You sure this was a good idea bringing me here?"

"What's done is done. Rodney can fix the ship, maybe teach ya a thing or two about it, too."

I snapped up in my seat and threw an arm up to point at the demolished house, "and what about that?! John, I ruined someone's **home**!"

"Ya, you'll have to write up an apology card for that. Maybe a fruit basket and a bouquet of flowers to go with it."

I looked over at John incredulously, "that's it?! That's your fix?! Fruit, flowers, and a paper apology?! Duuuuuuude I murdered their HOME!"

"Just shuttup and calm down, I'll send a team over to help rebuild later."

"I'm gunna hit you if you tell me to shuttup again."

"Shuttup."

I glared at John, "Don't be a doucher."

"Shuttup."

"Really? You're gunna do this?"

"Shuttup."

"I thought I was supposed to be the immature one. I'm the kid remember?"

"Shuttup."

I launched myself at John, forgetting entirely about the fact that we're in mid-air. "I told you I'd attack you!"

John grabbed my wrists as I attempted to swat at him from the floor. "Who's the loser now, loser?! You can't even reach me!"

"I'm gunna murder you in your sleep!"

"Doubtful!" John raised a boot at me and lightly kicked me over as he grabbed onto the controls again.

I growled as I recomposed myself and sat down with my arms folded. "I want a goddam beer."

"I've got a shit-ton in my room from my last Earth-visit."

"Ya? Awesome." I grinned with happiness.

"Why are you so chipper?"

"Beer!"

"You're not gettin' any."

"What? Why?"

"You just destroyed a house."

"I said I was sorry!"

"No you didn't!"

"Well I was gunna!"

John was silent.

"You suck." I mumbled and folded my arms.


	3. Ch 3 The Start to Sparring

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 3**_

"Ok so we're just gunna catch ya up as fast as we can ok," John stood beside Dr. Weir as he spoke, "just to give ya some general knowledge before you come off-world with us."

I glared at John once again, "Off world? Y'mean, Stargate?"

"Yup."

"I hate you."

"I know." John smiled just as Dr. Weir started to intervene.

"Guys, remember."

"Sorry," We mumbled in unison once again.

John put a sarcastic loving arm around my shoulders and began to steer me away from Dr. Weir, I looked disgustedly at it, "What are you doing?"

"Making us look good."

"You're making us look worse. That arm is so fake, get off me." I threw his arm and wiggled away feeling rather dirty.

"Did you just say my arm is fake? Cause I'm pretty sure it's real."

"Oooooh my god, you know what I mean." I threw my head back, _uuuuugh_ _not again._

"Anyways," we kept walking down the hallway, "Rodney's gunna give ya a quick lesson in Ancient tech while you guys fix that Jumper you broke, I'm still teaching you to fly unfortunately, aaaaand Ronon and Teyla are gunna get ya sparrin' and shootin'. Deal?"

We stopped walking and I turned to him and opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. "Ok, here we are," a door slid open behind me as John spun me around and gave my back a solid shove forwards into the room, "have fun!" He smiled childishly as the door slid closed between us.

"But, I… where am I?" I looked around at the circular room, "goddammit John."

I slumped onto the floor and waited, it didn't take long until Teyla walked in followed by a really tough lookin' guy I assumed to be Ronon.

_I want him._ Is all that ran through my head.

I stood up and tried to look strong, I assume I'm being taught to fight now.

Ronon chuckled slightly as he took in my small stature. I'm not nearly as tall as John, he's approx. 5'9 whereas I stopped growing at 5'2.

Without speaking Teyla walked towards a pile of different weapons and pulled out a couple banto sticks.

_Oh crap._

I tied my hair up in a nice big messy bun as tight as the elastic would let me; my wavy hair goes just past my shoulder blades and is just as brown and fluffy as Johns is. Mine however is also very heavy and almost never stays in a bun for long.

She tossed me a couple sticks and spoke as I caught them, "I will go easy on you. Do not be afraid."

I glanced at Ronon who continued to chuckle. The stubbornness in me kicked in, "quit chucklin' Meat-head, I got this."

I peeled off my Atlantis jacket and adjusted my tank top. _I really hope my tits don't bounce out n' make an appearance. No warning? No sports bra._

Almost instantly, years of wrestling, and dodging John's attacks, and just being tortured by him in general kicked in; plus the fact that Teyla was goin' easy on me helped a ton.

I somehow managed to get the sticks out of her hands; mostly just by running and jumping around in circles trying to confuse and dodge her. Once I got the sticks though it felt just like old times with John.

In short, I jumped on her and wrestled her to the ground where we rolled around grabbing at each other and punching aimlessly, putting each other in headlocks and all sorts of fun stuff. Pretty sure Ronon enjoyed that part cause when we finally stood up he looked quite enthralled and stared mostly at my chest for an awkward moment.

I in no way won our little spar but Teyla says I put up a decent fight. Who knew, eh?

Unfortunately, I'm used to being on the defence constantly with John and attacking first was always a good offence with him and I ended up punching Teyla in the face without knowing we were done.

Ronon grabbed me by the neck and kicked out my legs from behind and proceeded to slam me down on my back.

"Ronon!" I heard Teyla's strong voice yell through the ringing in my ears. I coughed as I tried to catch my breath. "Ronon, release her."

I could feel Ronon's breath on my face as I lay there trying to breathe. Coughing again I opened my eyes and saw how close he was.

_God I want him._

I smiled coyly as he let go of my neck and stood up, "So ya like to play rough, huh?"

He looked down at me as I slowly stood up, never losing eye contact with the beast of a man.

It took him a moment to catch on to my intonation but when he did, he grinned back at me. "Come on, let's go fire some guns." He turned and started to walk down a hallway and I glanced at Teyla, she looked confused, disturbed, and impressed all at once, "sorry for hitting you," I shrunk into my shoulders in shame but I still couldn't help but laugh quietly as I left.


	4. Ch 4 Guns Guns Ouch

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 4:**_

I jumped and let out a shrill screech of a scream as Ronon shot a hole the size of a small child's head through a target sheet.

"Holy shit that thing is _killer_!" I marvelled at the monstrous gun he was twirling around his fingers.

"It's from my home world." His voice is rough but smooth, I love it.

"Where's that? Can I have one?"

Ronon looked at me with what looked like a hint of admiration towards my childish enthusiasm, "my world is called Sateda, and no, y'cant have one." He winked and grinned at me as he rammed his gun back into the holster on his hip.

"Tease." I put my hands on my hips and glared at him mockingly.

"Hey, you asked, I answered." Ronon looked back towards the strung up target sheets, "your turn."

I pulled a hand-gun off the table and quickly shot and hit right between the eyes of the man drawn on the sheet.

Smiling a cocky smile, I turned to Ronon, "so? How'd I do?"

"Way to go Shortstuff, I'm impressed." He held up his hand for a high-5 and as our palms collided I shrugged, "I play a lot of Call of Duty on my home world."

"Huh?"

"Call of Duty…" I stared blankly, "C'mon, it's so popular how dyou not know-" aaand then the answer hit me, "right, not from earth." I looked back up at the confused Hulk before me, "it's a game. You play a soldier in a war and run around killing other players…" he furrowed his brow as he thought about what I was saying before I continued, "I guess it was like target practice for me or something cause apparently I can shoot…" his face was still blank so I just shook my head and waved my arm, "Y'know what, never mind. It's all good."

"War is a game to you?"

"No, see now you're twisting my words, you're like a word genius just mushing 'em all together and making your own answer. No war isn't a game to me, the game is about war."

He continued to stare at me, eyebrows raised now, "not a very strong argument."

I smiled and sighed with a light chuckle, "Never mind dude, just shoot."

He smiled back making his eyes sparkle a little in the corners from the reflection off the lighting in the room, it kinda brought out the cheeky/childish side to his features and it made my smile widen.

_Frick he's hot. I want._

A few hours later I heard my stomach grumble at me, Ronon turned with a questioning look as my hands wrapped around my stomach, "we've been down here for hooouuuurs, food time?"

"Fine, food time." Ronon turned to put down the machine gun he was hugging under his arm.

**BANG!**

"AAAhhhhhh!" I screamed and clutched my thigh as Ronon spun around, machine gun back in arms and raised in defense.

"Jesus shit mother of fucking OWE!" I looked up as Ronon continued to scan our surroundings. "Dude there's no one here, the trigger just got caught on my zipper and I shot myself."

"You're joking right," Ronon leaned the gun backwards onto his shoulder.

"Noooo, I'm not joking."

He smiled and almost laughed as I pulled off my Atlantis jacket and tied it around my thigh so I didn't bleed everywhere.

"Doctor?" I winced at him through my words as I tightened the jacket.

"Yup," after once again putting the machine gun down, he swooped me up into his arms and began carrying me to the transporter. "I can't believe you shot yourself."

"Shuttup."

"I almost had respect for you," he was looking straight forward and grinning as he teased me.

"About that, don't tell John. He'll tease me for weeks."

"What am I supposed to tell him? That I shot you?"

"Oh come on," I playfully slapped his shoulder, "you can take him, you'll be fiiiine, he's small enough."

He looked down at me smiling, "l could, but I'm still not telling your brother I shot you."

"Well, tell him one of those Wraith things beamed down, shot me, you killed it, and it somehow beamed back up into its little spaceship and flew away."

He shook his head still smiling, "nuuh uh."

"Come on! He'll probably give you a medal or something for saving me!"

Ronon was silent and just continued walking and smiling.

"Gunshot wounds hurt. I don't like it."

"Maybe you shouldn't shoot yourself then."

"Maybe these jackets just shouldn't have zippers." I mumbled.

**XXXXX**

"Uuuuuugh god I can't watch this." John threw his head backwards and smeared his hands across his face as Ronon walked around the corner towards the team carrying me.

"John?" Teyla looked questioningly at John. "Oh hell… look at his face! He has intentions!" John groaned, "Uuuuughhh I can't think about this, Ronon has intentions with my sisteeerrrrr."

"Huh?" Ronon raised an eyebrow, "what intentions."

"Ya bro-skee, what intentions?" I smiled, knowing what his suspicions were.

"Why are you carrying her?"

Ronon grinned immediately, "Cause she sho-" I cut him off quickly and loudly, "it's cause I shot the wall so hard it deflected off the metal and ricocheted back and hit my leg."

John stared at my now properly bandaged thigh and then back to my face, "I am sooooo not buyin' that story," his eyes turned to Ronon as he glared, "did you shoot my sister?"

"No, she-"

"Yup! He shot me."

"No."

"Yup, right in the leg. Point blank. I didn't even flinch though."

John's famous _haha I told you so/I knew it _grin popped up, "you shot yourself didn't you."

"Nooooo," I threw my head back onto Ronon's upper arm; John's gunna hold this over me forever.

"You're worse than McKay!" John laughed and McKay straightened up smiling, "Really? That's awesome!"

Ronon gently placed me onto a chair, "you didn't have to carry me y'know, I can walk it's not that bad. Just a flesh wound!"

"I know," Ronon looked at me smiling and casually put his hand on my un-wounded thigh as he straightened up, "I wanted to."

I smiled back at him and cocked my head a little to the side contemplating what he meant by that. _I hope he meant what I want him to mean. _

I hadn't noticed John get up until he yelled suddenly, "OOOOKay Ronon, don't touch my sister. That's an order!"

Ronon recalled his hand but not his grin or the glint in his eyes. He was staring so intently at John. I can't tell if he's gunna stand up and beat him up or simply obey my brothers' new orders.

"In fact, trade me seats. Get up… "

"This has nothing to do with missions, I don't have to obey." Ronon stayed seated, staring up at John with straight-up defiance in his eyes.

"Ronon…" John crossed his arms and closed his eyes, "I'm gunna count to 3. And if you're not outta that seat when I open my eyes I'm gunna.."

"You're gunna what?"

John was silent and looked frustrated, he can't think of anything.

"I'm gunna… tell Elizabeth that you defied me."

Ronon smiled, "Oh ya? And what's she gunna do about it?"

Teyla stood and put a hand on John's shoulder, "How about both of you just calm down and we all eat our lunch in peace?" _Oooooh Teyla, nice try._

"John, sit down. You look like an asshole." I kicked his knee lightly with my good leg as I spoke. "You can order him about all ya like, but you've known for 26 years now that I won't listen and who's to say I won't just follow him around the table?" I smiled knowing that would push his buttons.

Right on cue John's eyes opened wide, "you don't touch him either! That's an order too!"

Half the cafeteria were watching by now and most of them stifling a laugh.

Teyla attempted to calm John again, "John, you are being very loud right now."

"Ya bro-skee, calm your shit." I smiled.

"This is so wrong." John grabbed at the front of his fluffy hair in frustration as he spun around back to his chair.

_I love torturing him._


	5. Ch 5 Oh Crap

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 5:**_

I've been on Atlantis for about a week now, so far Rodney has enjoyed rubbing his knowledge in my face, Teyla has beaten me up at least once every day, Dr. Beckett has mastered my self-inflicted wound, Ronon has learned to wrap me up in full body gear for target practice, and John has gone completely mental at the image of Ronon following me around like a puppy. Needless to say, I'm enjoying myself.

"Well, today's the day." John stood up straight with his hands on his hips, staring at me with a creepy sort of _**I'm going to enjoy this **_smile on his face.

I was both puzzled and intrigued by this, "Whaddya mean?"

His smile got bigger and fear suddenly wrapped my entire being.

"Time to go off world."

"Stargate?!"

"Yup," he nodded maliciously, "Stargate. We've been picking up a distress call so we're gunna go check it out."

I gulped at the thought. "John, technically that's putting me in danger! Mom said you have to protect me!" I ran after John as he began smugly walking towards a Jumper.

"Mom doesn't even know where we are."

"Ya but if she did she'd make you protect me! Remember that time at the carnival when I wanted to go on the teacup ride but mom didn't want to so she made you go with me?"

"Ya" John's eyebrows furrowed as he wondered where I was going with this.

"Well that's just like this, except that this time you're making me go on the hellavator and I don't want to!"

"Well, she's not exactly here to yell at me, is she?" He stopped walking and turned to face me, still grinning.

"Ya but still, mom said-" I was cut off by Dr. Weir. _Awwwwwkward._

"Children," she folded her arms, "honestly." She turned her gaze to John and smiled humorously, "but really John, listen to your mother and take care of your little sister."

"Hah. See?"

"And you, Claire," she turned to me with a small smile, "try not to put your brother through hell."

"No promises."

John turned again towards the Jumper so I ran up to walk beside him, "but seriously though, I'll be ok right?"

"Stay with me and you will be," he gave my shoulder a hard slap as I jumped up the ramp into the small ship.

Teyla and Rodney were already seated inside so I went and sat down next to Ronon.

"NO!" John pointed sharply at us as he flipped out.

"Jooooohn, calm dooooown. It's a bench, not a bed for fucksake."

"Dear god don't put that image in my head, euuuuuughhhh." John glared at us and looked like he was about to lose his lunch all over the place.

"Ronon, sit over there." John pointed to an obscure corner of the ship.

"I'm not sitting there."

"That's an order."

"I'm not a Marine."

"Ya but you're on my team."

Teyla, Rodney, and myself all sighed at once. _I am sooooo sick of this._

I got up from my seat and walked towards my scary brother,"You're being a tool."

"Don't insult me in front of my team."

I looked at my brother and all my childish behaviour slipped away as it triggered in my mind that he was right about that. No matter how stupid he was being right now, his team needs to respect him and I'm part of that team now. He may be my brother and I can definitely get away with more, but I can't be so selfish that I cause tension within John's team just to push his buttons.

"I'm sorry," I looked John straight in the eyes as I spoke and his gaze slowly lowered to meet mine as his brow furrowed in confusion. We don't apologize to each other very often, usually we just continue to torture; but I think he heard the sincerity in my voice 'cause he looks reaaaaally shocked and confused right now.

There was a long pause before he decided to lower his accusatory arm and respond with, "good."

Awkwardly, John turned towards the cockpit and marched off feeling flustered enough by my apology that he didn't even notice that I'd gone and sat down beside Ronon again who smiled and threw an arm around me as he slid down on his seat and got comfortable.

"Just 'cause I can," he growled out while smirking.

_If Teyla and Rodney and my brother weren't here and we weren't expected to go flying anywhere I would mount him so fast._

I shut my eyes tight and was quietly singing to myself as I waited for the ship to take off through the Stargate. As it did however, conversation in the back was directed towards me and took a turn for the awkward.

"So, I was contacted recently by my people on the settlement. Halling mentioned something about his house being destroyed." Her face was serious and my heart stopped. _Oh shit._

"Uh, wow." Is all I could say.

"He said a Jumper crashed into it…?"

"That was Claire!" John called casually from the cockpit.

"NO!" I stood up to defend myself, "Well ya it was me but it's John's fault he was supposed to be helping me!"

"Hey don't try n' blame me!"

"You were supposed to make sure I didn't screw up!" I sat down again and grabbed my stomach as I felt the lurch inside triggered by the gate travel and an awkward silence followed.

I let out a heavy sigh as the feeling passed and mumbled sheepishly, "I'll accept blame for it… but John said he'd send a team to rebuild!"

"I did!"

There was another awkward silence after that. I looked at Ronon who was smiling at me, clearly shaking with a silent chuckle.

"It is alright," Teyla finally broke the tension, "it is being rebuilt with the help of some Marines. I was simply curious. That is all."

"Aah." I nodded and lowered my face towards the floor, shutting my eyes tight once again. _I hate gate travel._

"She didn't even say she was sorry, she made me drive so we could leave faster."

"JOHN! SHUTTUP!"

**XXXXX**

"Oh god I think I'm gunna be sick!" I ran off to the woods as soon as we made it through the gate and the Jumper door dropped open.

John had his gun raised just in case and turned its' flashlight on.

"It is night already?" Teyla gazed at the stars above the planet as she wandered in circles.

"Actually," Rodney stepped forward to speak followed immediately by Ronon mumbling, "Here we go."

I smirked a little from my spot in the bushes as Rodney stared, annoyed.

"As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted by Conan the Barbarian; technically, Teyla, its morning here. It seems their planet spins backwards, making our morning seem like their night."

"Interesting." John took a protective step towards where I was in the trees as he spoke to Teyla, "Any life signs being detected?"

"None so far," Teyla scanned the detector she was holding in her left hand.

"Lots of fog," Ronon waved his arms in the air in front of his face trying to clear a path to breathe.

I think we all noticed it at the same time because Ronon, Rodney, and I began coughing and choking on nothing. Teyla and John quickly fell to the fog as well.

"There are signs," Teyla coughed again, "someone is coming."

"Get down!" John whispered anxiously as his arms stretched out to grab me and shove me back down into the bush. Thank god it wasn't the same one I just puked on.

Through the branches I managed to make out the figures surrounding us.

"They're soldiers," I whispered to myself but got kicked subtly by John who never lost eye-contact with the man seeming to be their leader.

"Shuttup, they don't know you're here." He whispered as he stifled a cough in his throat.

I ducked further into the bush attempting to hide, but the strongest fear I felt was for my brother and my team… and spiders. _I wonder if they have space-spiders?_

"John! Wonderful to see you again," His _welcome _was loaded with sarcasm and slightly muffled behind a gasmask.

"Kolya." John straightened up, gun still raised towards the man. "I'd say it's wonderful to see you too but… y'know…" He coughed, "it isn't. And quite frankly I don't think yours was sincere." Keeping his gun raised and aimed I watched as John took a few carefully measured steps so he stood not only near my side but in front of the bush I was in as well. _Awwwwwe he __**does **__care! _

"So, I assume the distress signal was you?" John's voice was even and very calm as he spoke to the man; despite the occasional cough.

"Most definitely, I knew the Angels of Atlantis would pick it up and swoop in to the rescue. Unfortunately for you, we're not the ones in distress." I watched the man as he smiled maliciously and continued to step towards my brother.

"What is it that you want?" Teyla spoke.

My gazed shifted through the branches to see Teyla, weapon raised and curiosity written all over her face.

Ronon stood beside her, I'm guessing his gun was _not _set to 'stun'.

I glanced at Rodney's shaking hands and noticed that he also had his gun drawn and with his free hand, was covering his mouth and nose with the end of his sleeve to block out the fog that seemed to be some kind of gas.

_Heeeyyyy, good idea… _I pulled my own sleeve down a little further and mirrored Rodney's actions while slipping the tip of my own gun through the leaves.

"I want a lot of things. And I'm sure Dr. Weir will give them to me once she finds out her A-Team is being held. When's your next check-in with Atlantis? I'll be sure to be ready with your radio to chat."

_Oh god, not now… come ooooonnnnn_ I suddenly felt the most powerful urge to sneeze. Stupid lint on my stupid sleeve.

I removed my sleeve so I could start breathing in through my mouth and out my nose, trying to subdue the urge. But of course, no luck.

I sneezed.

My arms snapped quickly back to my face in an attempt to suffocate it though so it came out sounding more like a squeak/branch snapping/muffled kind of noise.

"What was that?"

_Goddammit._

John shifted awkwardly and glanced down at me, "nothin', there's a weird sort of animal down here… it's… weird lookin' and… stupid."

I glared at my brother; despite our situation he still manages to insult me.

"Oh, I don't think that was an animal." Kolya snapped his fingers and a few of his men began to walk towards the bush.

"Don't." John warned the men as he raised his gun in their direction. Kolya began to chuckle and step forward, "all for animal rights now John? Lower your weapons. All of you."

I heard rustling behind me and more men stepped out of the fog.

Clearly angry at the situation, Teyla and Ronon lowered their guns reluctantly whereas Rodney dropped his quickly and threw his free hand up in surrender, keeping his other one covering his face.

John kept his gun raised at the men walking in my direction and I let out a slight yelp as two men in gas masks pulled me up from behind.

"Pretty good looking animal you're hiding, John." He smiled as they dragged me towards him.

"Do not touch her Kolya or it'll be the last thing you do! I will hunt you. And I promise you, you will not survive."

"Protective of this one." Kolya walked towards me and when he was close enough I spat on him and attempted to kick but got punched instead.

_Owe. If that's what a real punch feels like, then Teyla was __**definitely **__going easy on me._

"Kolya!" John's shout came out more of a choke through the fog.

John, Teyla and Ronon had been coughing through the fog this entire time but slowly the severity of it began to increase and they crumpled down onto the grass.

"Let's get you all inside. Can't have you choking to death before we have a chance to torture… or bargain… depending on Dr. Weir of course." Kolya smiled behind his mask again as he turned to walk away, leaving his men to deal with us.

Soon Rodney, still covering his face, was surrounded by masked soldiers and being grabbed at and prodded in the direction Kolya went.

The men holding me were dragging me along next to their leader. For some reason I turned my head to him and said the only thing that popped into my head, and I really don't know why I did.

"Your face is ugly."

Kolya turned to me and frowned, "Knock her out."

"What?" My eyes widened, and the butt of a gun heading towards my face is the last thing I saw before all vision went black and my body fell into a slump in the men's arms.


	6. Ch 6 Kinked

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 6:**_

When I finally came back to consciousness the first thing I noticed was that I was alone in a small empty room. My wrists were bound around a pole behind me, forcing me to correct my slumped form to straighten my legs, raise my head, and stand upright. As I raised my head I was smacked by a very dizzying sensation that made me want to drop again. Fortunately for me I'm used to it, long story short when we were growing up John wanted a little brother to wrestle with and when he got me instead, he wasn't gentle.

I shut my eyes tight and re-opened them a few times to correct my vision, in doing this I noticed the sticky wet feeling above my left eye. I'm assuming that's blood from where the gun hit me.

I wasn't awake for long before two soldiers entered, "ahh, you're awake!" The one who spoke clapped his hands jovially as he walked closer. "We weren't sure when you'd be joining us."

"We were hoping for a pole dance actually," the second soldier gave me a wink as he spoke.

"What?" My face recoiled in disgust.

"Why else d'you think we tied you to a pole? C'mon, give us a lil' hip shake."

"You're a freak." I glared at him, "Where's my team?"

"Hmm?"

"My team, where are they." I tried to muster up my most stern voice but it still sounded very shaky.

"Oh, you mean Sheppard and his little gang. They're in the other room right now, they'll be back soon." He smiled oddly at me and it made me frown. _Why are you smiling ya lil' terd? I ain't dancin'._

Only seconds later, Ronon and Teyla were thrown back into the little room, both looking a little beat up. The two soldiers in the room with me took them and tied them back up to their respective poles.

Before leaving, the second soldier turned to face me, "Just yell when you're ready for a show alright love?" They laughed as they excited the room.

"YUCK!" I yelled, exaggerating as much as possible, as they closed the door.

Teyla turned to me, "What does that mean?"

I turned to Teyla, "oh they're jokin' about me doin' a pole dance for 'em."

"A what?"

"A pole dance." I looked at her simply but was met by a blank stare from her and Ronon. _Right, not from Earth_. "Pole dance, uhm, it's when naked chicks slide around on a pole... they're called Strippers… y'know what, John can probably explain it better. He loves strippers. Actually he dated a stripper for a while back home named Angel," I immediately started laughing at the memory, "well that was her stage name anyways. She was soooo dumb, this one time she-" I cut myself off when I noticed they had no clue what I was talking about or laughing at which reminded me I shouldn't be laughing in the first place considering our situation.

My face straightened as I cleared my throat. "So, what's going on out there?"

Teyla spoke calmly and told me about how Kolya was holding us ransom in hopes to gain some more C4 and other such equipment. Her explanation was long and in depth but I couldn't take my eyes off Ronon who was continually struggling and wrestling with his bindings. He stopped immediately as the door was thrown open.

"So, Tiny Dancer, any thoughts on that dance?" The same two soldiers entered and walked straight to me.

"You guys are so friggin' weird. You really think I'm gunna get up n' shake my titties for you? Cause if so you are so off base."

Just as I finished talking I lifted my right leg high and quickly side-kicked one of the two in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious to the ground. _Thank you Teyla for that wonderful coaching... However I think I did something wrong because my ankle hurts. Dammit._

Unfortunately for me, that still left one angry man standing.

The second soldier immediately punched me in the face, splitting my lip.

"HEY!" Ronon shouted suddenly and it was only then that I noticed he had wrestled himself free of his bonds. Ronon charged the second soldier before he even had time to lift his weapon. I watched amazed as Ronon smashed the man into darkness. I don't think that guy's gunna see straight for weeks.

Ronon darted behind the door to hide as it swung open to let in another pair of soldiers who heard the scuffle.

To the right of me I could see Teyla had started struggling with her bonds. The two Genii that tied us up must really suck at knots 'cause it didn't take her long to break free as well. She ran over and cut me loose as Ronon took care of the two new guards with ease.

"I assume John and Rodney are still with Kolya?" Teyla spoke specifically to Ronon.

"Must be." Was all the delicious caveman said before he nodded his head towards the door, "S'go."

Teyla picked up the weapons the Genii soldiers had and passed one to Ronon and then one to me.

"Are you alright?" Teyla asked as she passed me the gun.

"I'm fine, ya. Just a lil'," I fluttered my fingers in front of my eyes and made a face, "fuzzy n' dizzy that's all."

I took a step forward and stumbled a bit, apparently I kinked my ankle when I kicked that guy.

"You just can't help but injure yourself, can you?" Ronon turned to me with a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"Hey now, I tried and that's all that matters, right?" I smiled at him, proud of myself, as I hobbled another step.

"Here," Ronon bent down slightly and threw me over his shoulder so my legs kicked out at his chest and I was looking behind him. "You watch my back, gun up. I'll carry you."

"Uh, ok," I focused my eyes on the empty room and raised my gun. _So far, my job is easy._

As much as I appreciate being carried, I don't know if I like this idea. I can't see what's going on and that's almost more frightening than if I were to be snuck up on from behind.

I wiggled as much as I could to crane my neck around and see what was happening but I really wish I hadn't.

There in the center of the next room sat my brother. Tied up in a chair and beat to a pulp.

I could hear Rodney shouting that it won't do any good to beat him further, Weir is steadfast that we won't trade and this will change nothing.

Ronon slid me down his chest so I was standing facing him, Teyla noticed immediately that I had in fact seen John by the water beginning to pool in my eyes. _Aaaawwweee I do care._

"It is alright," she whispered to me, "we will free him."

"Stay here," Ronon muttered in his gruff voice as he turned me, pushed my legs out from behind and quietly seated me on the floor.

"Teyla, s'go." He nodded again towards the next room.

I watched as the two of them scoped out the room from peering around the edges of the doorway. Teyla came back to me after a moment, "there are twelve men guarding John and Rodney excluding Kolya. If you are able to take out the two behind John, Ronon and I can do the rest."

"Ok, deal." I anchored myself down on the floor like a sniper on a roof would do in my game. Peering through my scope I lined up with the soldier to the left of John.

I waited until Teyla and Ronon had begun picking off the men I couldn't see before I fired twice and shot the two straight ahead. Once they were dead it gave way for Teyla and Ronon to slip further into the room without being in clear range of bullets.

I shuffled forward on the ground to get a closer look at the room. _If I can help, I will._

I channelled my 'inner gunman' and picked off a couple soldiers that were holding Rodney from the doorway while Ronon held Kolya at gunpoint and Teyla cut John free. Rodney stood confused before he noticed me just outside and smiled.

As John was cut free, he shot out of his seat and ripped the gag off his mouth, "Where the hell is my little sister?!" He turned on Kolya immediately and punched him several times in the face before he stopped, ready to yell some more. _Aaaawwwweee he dooooees care! _

He stopped once he heard me outside calling to him.

"John!" I struggled to stand, "Jooooooohn, I'm okay!" Teyla ran to me and helped me hobble over.

"Claire." John huffed out looking relieved, but as his eyes scanned my bloody face and the way I limped he turned his rage out again and wailed on the man. Ronon did nothing to stop him. _Classic Ronon._

Without any notice, John simply collapsed. I think he just wore himself out because he didn't look like he was gunna stop hitting the man anytime soon.

Teyla left me with Rodney as her and Ronon tied up Kolya and radioed Dr. Weir to see what she wanted done with him.

We left him stranded on the planet. Tied up, unconscious, and alone. Personally I think we should've just shot him.

Ronon threw John over his shoulder easily as Rodney and Teyla helped me hobble to the Jumper.

"Well," Ronon plopped the semi-conscious John down onto a bench, "who's flyin'?" He looked between myself and Rodney, who went pale.

"I guess I will." My voice was shaky, last time I flew I crashed into an Athosian settlement.

Teyla walked me to the front of the Jumper and Rodney ran to punch in the address and give his IDC so Weir would lower the shield.

I glanced back at the little crowd in the back, John looked at me with a slightly frightened look on his face probably because I'm flying. "K well, I apologize in advance if we crash and die." I smiled brightly and took a deep breath. "Here we go," I muttered as we took off through the Stargate.


	7. Ch 7 Morphling

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 7:**_

I sat on the hospital bed looking frustrated as Dr. Beckett wrapped up my ankle after washing off my face and putting a small bandage over my head where I got hit by the butt of the gun. I wanted to get up and see John who was lying just three beds over but behind a curtain. Apparently he wasn't doing very well.

Ronon and Teyla didn't bother getting their minor wounds looked at, just small cuts and bruises from being beat by the Genii soldiers.

I sighed and leaned back as Ronon and Teyla sauntered in and stopped by my bedside.

"How are you feeling?" Teyla looked at me with concern, "is your ankle alright?"

"Ya, I'm good. Maybe we should have a few more lessons soon though," I laughed, "clearly I need to figure out what I did wrong to avoid this in the future." I gestured towards my ankle while referring to the somewhat wonky kick I delivered.

"Nice shootin' lil' one," Ronon shifted more into view smiling a bright smile at me. "You didn't even shoot yourself!" He touched a finger to my split lip lightly and frowned as his gaze shifted up to my forehead. He opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off by my brothers' slurred voice shouting, "Get hands off!"

All our heads snapped over in John's direction where he had a hold of the curtain and was peering through.

"I'm lyin' here beds barely moving and she has a little split in lip and you crowd around all concerned and crowd at her bedside?!" He let the curtain drop again and muttered, "brutal."

Teyla smiled and immediately went over to John, "John, it is good to hear your voice."

"Ya, it's nice to be into conscious again. Where's Ronon being?" He looked through the curtain again and scowled as he saw Ronon loop an arm around my waist and help me hobble over.

"Hello big brother," I smiled happily at him. _So glad he's ok._

"Hey kid thing," he mirrored back the same smile though he looked a little dazed, "I think I'm gunna have to leave the mission report to you guys, Mr. Scottsman over there," he motioned to Dr. Beckett, "keeps giving me morphling and it's making me all floofy in my head."

I snorted a laugh and smiled, "You mean Morphine?"

"I'm supposing so," his eyes closed to blink but didn't open again for a few moments.

"John, maybe you should just go back to sleep," Teyla lifted John's blanket back up to his shoulders and straightened his hand with the IV in it.

"Personally I think that yes, I should steep." He stared sternly at Ronon but said nothing until he just passed out muttering something about tea and how it steeps too.

"Interesting." I stared at my bandaged up brother as he snored away.

"I suppose we should go and see Dr. Weir then?" Suggested Teyla before she turned and walked down the hall towards her office.

Ronon, who still had his arm looped around my waist for support, looked down at me, "want a lift?" I looked up at him awkwardly, not quite understanding what he meant. He looked off awkwardly and his words spilled out like he didn't know what he was saying, "it's just 'cause you're so short y'know it'd just be easier on my back if I just carried you instead of bending to help you all the way." I smiled and raised my eyebrows at him as he continued to ramble. "Not that being short is a bad thing! No, it's actually quite cute- uuuuhhh, I dunno." He stopped and straightened up. "Just…" he looked off again, "d'you want me to carry you?"

_Did I just make Ronon nervous? _

"Why not!" I said as I dramatically tossed a few curls over my shoulder. I reached up as high as I could to hang an arm around Ronon's neck as he bent down and hooked his arm under my legs and picked me up as easily as if I weighed no more than a ball of cotton.

"Thanks," I smiled up at the Wildman with a bit of a chuckle hiding behind it. Ronon grinned at me, looking rather pleased with himself, "no problem lil' one."

**XXXXX**

I didn't know most of what went on but I followed Ronon, Teyla and Rodney into a room with Dr. Weir to reflect what happened off-world.

It was interesting to hear what went on while I was knocked out. Apparently that 'fog' was actually a simple knock-out gas triggered by Kolya and his men. I still don't understand why we left him alive even though we killed his men. Every galaxy needs a bad guy I guess.

I must admit, hearing Teyla describe me kicking that soldier and shooting the other ones made me feel pretty badass, I can't wait to rub it in John's face later that _I _saved _him _and not the other way around.

_This'll be fun._

**XXXXX**

"So!" I sat at the end of John's bed smiling rather smugly, "Guess who saved your life?!"

"Ronon and Teyla."

"What? No!" I frowned feeling rather let down, "Well ya, they did but guess who else did!"

"Did Lorne come? I don't remember him being there but I know Rodney wouldn't have done much."

He knew. Ass. He's just being annoying.

"Can you just gimme some credit here? I shot guys! I kicked a guy!"

"Ya and broke your ankle doing it."

"I didn't **break **my ankle! I merely twisted it."

"Still hurt yourself kicking someone," he was mocking me again.

"It was a hard kick."

"Doubtfull."

"It knocked him unconscious!"

"He was probably already halfway there."

"Huh?"

"He probably saw Ronon; I read the reports, he busted out of his bonds and tackled the other guy. Your guy probably just saw him n' passed out from fear. Your kick was just good timing."

I know he's teasing me but I can't help it. My cheeks were going hot with anger and frustration.

"Can you just appreciate my efforts?!"

"Nah." He turned his head casually and started playing with the curtain.

"I hate you."

"I know." He smiled.

_Fine. You wanna play this game? I can play this game._

I stretched out a little leaning back on John's bed and sighed, "Ronon's being so nice lately, he's been carrying me everywhere 'cause of my ankle. He is suuuch an amazing guy, and those muscles! Woo!" I began fanning my face with my hand as I let my head fall backwards to daydream. I could see John frowning at me in my peripherals and I smiled. I decided to improvise and take it further, "We're going out for lunch later, just him n' me!" I smiled and stared off into nowhere, "I wonder where he'll take me... maybe the East Pier, I hear it's lovely at-" He cut me off.

"Ok. That's it. Fine. Yaaaayyyy," John waved his hands around in the air in mock celebration, "good job you saaaaved meeee woooo." He dropped his hands and glared at me, "please tell me you made all that up to bug me?"

I smiled and giggled a little, "oh ya… totally. All fake mhm."

_And __**that**__ is how you patronize someone._


	8. Ch 8 Throwing Stories

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 8:**_

It's been a few days now since my first adventure, John's back on his feet, still a little bandaged up but he's definitely doing a lot better thanks to Dr. Beckett aka _Mr. Scottsman_ as I have begun calling him. _Thanks for that one, John._

Teyla had me back in the practice room but instead of sparring she just had me kicking at a punching bag trying to get my form straight so I wouldn't hurt myself again. Soon Ronon came to take over and started teaching me how to throw people, he called for the smallest Marine we had so I could practice on him. Poor lil' fella.

I discovered quickly that the _poor lil' fella_ wasn't in too much danger; I'm weak. Anytime I tried I ended up just knocking myself over, sometimes he toppled over with me and that was progress but the majority of the time I just ended up bailing myself.

After that I discovered quickly that the _poor lil' fella_ **was** in danger when Ronon started demonstrating on him.

A few throws later the Marine, Tommy I learned his name was, walked over to me pleading, "Can you just get it right so he stops throwing me?" That annoyed me but I still couldn't stifle a laugh.

After a few more attempts and fails it occurred to me why it wasn't working.

_Ronon uses strength to lift and throw his opponent down, I don't have that. But I'm quick._

"Oooh! I think I got it this time."

"Really? Believe it when I see it." Ronon smirked as the Marine begged and I glared.

I backed up and gave it a running start, when I got close enough I grabbed Tommy by the throat, hooked my leg behind his and pulled them out from under him while following through with my throw. And with that swift kick, he dropped on his back.

"Hah!" I jumped up straight to look at Ronon and threw my arms in the air with a huge smile on.

"You didn't fall over!" Ronon yelled and picked me up throwing me head-first over his shoulder, him holding my thighs to his chest so I wouldn't fall.

"Wooo!" We cheered and hollered and carried on for a few minutes before noticing Tommy hadn't got up yet.

He slid me down his chest to put me down as we both stared at poor Tommy.

I knelt down beside him and saw his chest still rising and falling, "he's still breathing, musta just smoked his head a little too hard on the floor." I looked back at Ronon who looked somewhat impressed, "definitely an improvement."

I smiled proudly as I radioed for _Mr. Scottsman_ to send someone over just in case.

**XXXXX**

"Are you serious?" John flopped his head into his hands and groaned as I entered the cafeteria riding piggy-back on Ronon.

"Hello hello!" I shouted smiling proudly, "guess who just threw her first Marine!"

Teyla smiled enthusiastically, "Congratulations!"

"He's in the hospital wing now." Ronon stated bluntly. My proud coach grinned at Teyla who stopped smiling, "and this is… good?" She questioned.

"Not for him," Ronon answered, "but for her it is."

He crouched down slightly to let me jump off his back, "wanna go get some lunch?" I looked up at my scruffy instructor who smiled down at me, "sure."

When we sat back down at the table with our trays, I could tell it was taking a lot of restraint for John to stay silent. His arms were crossed, he was frowning, and I don't know if he was even breathing his face was so red.

"Joooohn?" I questioned cautiously.

"Yes?" He sounded just as strained as he looked.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Cause you look a little strained…"

"Yes."

I blinked, "okay." I turned my attention towards my sandwich but just as I bit into it, big brother exploded.

"You." He pointed to me and stood up fast, "Walk. Me. That way." He gestured robotically down a hallway. "Now." John turned and began to walk out of the cafeteria.

Teyla put her head in her hands, she was probably trying to calm him down the entire time we were in line. Rodney just ignored everything around him and focused on his blue Jell-o.

"Oh jeez," I chuckled a bit and looked at Ronon who just smiled, lifted his eyebrows, and said, "have fun!"

"Don't eat my sandwhich!"

Ronon just smiled a cheeky smile that reached right into the corners of his eyes.

"I will hit you."

"You can't reach me."

"I never said I'd hit your face!" I glanced pointedly downwards to hint at his sensitive zone.

"You wouldn't." Ronon's smile lessened as his eyes went wide.

"Try me," I smiled and grabbed half of _his_ sandwich and bit it viciously before putting it back down and leaving with a wink.

_I want him._

I ran to catch up with John who never stopped walking, "are you gunna start yelling at me about this n' that n' everything else?"

"Probably."

"Why?"

"Cause."

"Cause why?"

"Cause you're annoying."

"I know." I smiled feeling proud of the fact.

John finally stopped walking and turned to face me, "can you just maybe not be all," he made a weird face and some odd gestures trying to get his point across without having to say the main part out loud, "with him?"

All I could do was smile, "sure."

"Really?"

"Probably not."

He sighed, "how 'bout just not in front of me?"

"Sure."

"Really?"

I shrugged, _I guess I could give him that._ "Sure."

"How 'bout not at all?"

"John," I frowned a little, "I don't know what's happening with Ronon, if anything at all. But if something _is _happening with Ronon, I feel like since I'm 26 I don't need your permission. You picked him yourself to be on your team so I'm assuming he's not a bad guy. Be pleased it's not Dr. Kavanagh, he's creepy."

"Ew does he talk to you?" John's expression changed completely.

"He tried to a couple days ago. Ran into him in the hallway after hangin' out with Rodney in the lab pokin' at the Jumper."

"The Jumper you broke?"

I stopped and stared at him blankly. "Yes. Thank you for reminding me, I had forgotten. The Jumper I broke."

"You're welcome," John straightened up smiling that he pissed me off.

"Anyways. As I was saying, he asked me out to lunch. I lied and told him I was having lunch with my brother, he asked who my brother was, I told him, he ran away." I stopped and turned to John, "you've really got a reputation around here, huh?"

He grinned, "I've threatened him once or twice."

"Ah. Good then. Maybe he'll piss off."

We started walking back towards the cafeteria and I couldn't help myself, "So _pretty boy _who are you datin' on this floating rock?"

"What?"

"You with anyone?"

"Nah, but the alien chicks seem to really dig me so I think I'm gunna leave that window open." He smiled at me and wiggled his eyebrows as I hung back and tried to sort that out in my head. _Alien chicks? Ick._

**XXXXX**

"Wow, I'm impressed!" I looked back and forth between Ronon and my plate where my sandwich waited.

He smiled as I sat down beside him and John re-took his seat across from us.

He didn't say anything but he didn't have to, Ronon was looking at me in a very affectionate way and it made my cheeks heat up.

"ONE TIME WHEN CLAIRE WAS LITTLE AND WE WENT CAMPING SHE LOCKED HERSELF IN THE BATHROOM BY ACCIDENT AND CRIED FOR AN HOUR 'TILL OUR DAD GOT HER OUT."

My head snapped to look at John whose words just spilled out of his mouth loud and fast. I could feel my eyes go wide and my mouth gape open, "where the hell did that outburst come from… and was the story really necessary?!"

John awkwardly shifted around in his chair looking back and forth between me and Ronon and then at Teyla and Rodney and following that scanned over the entire cafeteria who were all looking at him very confused. "Just thought we should all get to know each other better y'know, share some childhood stories."

"Well." I smiled cruelly, "if we're sharing baby stories then I think it's my turn." I leaned back in my chair and spoke louder than necessary so everyone could hear, "One time when John was a baby he sat down on one of the porch chairs, broke it, and even put a crack in the deck floor 'cause he was so fat. He also cried when mom wouldn't give him a second piece of birthday cake." I smiled a very fake smile at John.

John glared, "technically that was two stories!" I shrugged.

"Fine, then I get one more." John adjusted himself in his seat before he continued, "When Claire was little she wouldn't stop climbing trees and she got so much sap in her hair that mom had to cut it out and she ended up looking like Edward Scissorhands for all of third grade."

I had my arms folded over my chest, "I hate you so bad."

He smiled and went back to eating.

"Edward Scissorhands?" Teyla and Ronon both looked confused by that last story.

John looked up and swallowed his bite, "he's a character from a movie; he's got really screwed up hair that sticks out everywhere at different lengths."

Ronon laughed and looked at me no doubt imagining me with crazy hair. "Ehh I think you'd still look good."

I smiled adoringly and tugged a dread just for fun, "Aawwee thanks Roneroo!" I threw in the cutesee nickname and voice as an added punch, just for John.

_Hah. I win._


	9. Ch 9 Trees Suck

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 9:**_

"I just don't understand how you're still so bad at this."

"Y'know what John," I looked at him as I followed him out of the Jumper, "maybe next time when I say _how 'bout you drive, _you should **listen **to me and **drive**."

"Well ya have to learn somehow!" John stopped walking and stretched his arms up in the air before putting on his aviators.

"Then quit complaining!" I flicked the back of his head as I walked past and joined Rodney up ahead.

While doing some research in the Ancient databanks Rodney and I stumbled upon a half-written report about a planet with an abundant power source. With the report being only half-written however Dr. Weir sent us out to find out why.

I looked over at Rodney's power scanner, "we're not gunna blow up right?"

Rodney looked at me, "You think if I knew we were going to blow up, I'd still lead us here?"

"Just checkin'," I leaned away and looked out over the field. "It's a really beautiful planet," I turned to Teyla knowing she'd be the one to appreciate it the most.

"Yes, it is. It reminds me of my home planet." She scanned the landscape with a mournful look in her eyes; memories of her home planet being brought to the surface.

_Wupsee._

"So, Rodniss, where we off to?" I looked at Rodney and threw an arm over his shoulder with a smile.

"Rodniss?"

"I thought it sounded cool." I removed my arm awkwardly.

"It doesn't. This way." Rodney started walking into the trees to our left, I turned to make sure the troop was following. Teyla was right behind me and I could see Ronon had noticed our path but John was still staring off in the other direction for who knows what reason.

"Yo dipshit! This way!" I waved at John to follow us

"Dipshit?" John took off his glasses and gave me a stern face.

I smiled and turned to Rodney, "Starting to appreciate your name?"

"Little bit, ya."

**XXXXXX**

"Well, this is where the signal's coming from." Rodney looked around awkwardly.

"But there are only trees here," Teyla looked around skeptically.

"Can I see that?" I asked Rodney and reached for the Ancient scanner. "The signal is very… odd. Almost looks fainter than the other dots." I looked upwards in the treetops. "Hey, what's that?" I pointed up to the highest.

Rodney looked up and smiled, "That, my dear, looks to be a ZPM."

"In the trees?!" John ripped his shades off again and snapped his head up to see. Sure enough, there was a ZPM stuck in the treetops.

"But, if it's in the treetops, it's not plugged into anything. How is it giving off such a strong signal?" I looked at Rodney and the scanner with a puzzled look.

"I don't know, but who wants to go get it?" Rodney looked around, but I quickly discovered everyone was looking at me.

"Wanna look like Edward Scissorhands again?" John looked at me with a smirk. "C'mon, you'll be fiiine, take a silver bullet for the team."

"Trade ya for beers?"

"Fine, we'll all get drunk when we get back to Atlantis. Now get up there Monkey."

"Ugh." I let out a heavy sigh as I tied my hair up in a really high bun. _Hopefully it stays there._

"Alright, keep in radio contact. I doubt we'll be able to hear you from up there."

"Sounds good," I looked at John, "but if I fall and break my back I'm telling mom you made me do it."

_Mom would kill him._

"I hate you."

"Here, take this," Teyla passed me an empty backpack so I could carry the ZPM down and still have both hands.

"Oh, here," Rodney jogged towards me, "take this just in case." He passed me a second power scanner.

"Sure, thanks guys." I strapped on the backpack and tucked the scanner into my jacket and zipped it up again just before I reached for the first branch and it broke in my hand, "…off to a good start," I mumbled to myself.

"Here," I felt Ronon behind me pick me up and give me a boost to a more solid branch.

"Thankyaaa." I heard John huff loudly behind me.

_Hah._

**XXXXX **

_I feel like I've been climbing for hours…_

_Just keep the beer in mind… beer, beer, beer, do it for the beer…_

_Hey maybe if I get Ronon really drunk… that'd kill John… haha_

I continued to talk to myself as I climbed higher and higher, only halfway there and there's already scratches all over my hands and face. I kept my jacket on to protect my arms and zipped it up tight to cover my chest too.

_I never figured out about space-spiders… I wonder if they're huge…_

I shuddered at the thought, I hate spiders. Be they earth, or space, I don't care. I hate them.

_Almost there… _

I stopped climbing about 2 branches away from the glowing ZPM and tapped my earpiece.

"Rodney?"

"Ya, you got it?"

"Pretty much, but… it's glowing."

"What?"

"Ya, doesn't it only glow when it's plugged into something?"

"Ya… there must be something else up there that we're not seeing."

"I'll check around. Claire out!" I dramatically slapped my earpiece to turn it off again forgetting it was connected to my head. "Owe."

I looked around myself trying to find a good place to prop myself up so I could use both hands to figure this out. I ended up just wrapping my legs around the branch below me and tucking another under my arm as I pulled out the scanner.

It beeped and flashed and the lights were far brighter than they were down below. Looking around I found another light flashing orange on a tree trunk a few trees over. I radioed down to Rodney again and told him what I'd found.

I figured I'd climb the last couple branches and grab the ZPM before I attempted to switch trees to check out the other light. Once I got closer I found out it was, in fact, plugged into something. It was plugged into the tree itself and there were knots in the bark around the ZPM that resembled the buttons around the ZPM back on Atlantis.

_Interesting._

I pressed the same sequence that releases the ZPM in Atlantis and it luckily slid out slowly right into my hands. "Perfect!"

I held onto the ZPM with my knees as I swivelled the backpack around so it was on my stomach and slid the power source inside. "Alrighty, next tree." I hiked the pack back onto my back and steadied myself to climb up a few more branches where I could see the tree I was in leaned closer to the one with the orange light.

Just as I was reaching for the other tree my earpiece buzzed, "Be careful."

But it wasn't my brother, or Rodney. I looked down at the ground and saw Ronon standing right below me with his hand to his earpiece and looking up. John was right next to him staring him down, I couldn't help but smile, "thanks, I will," he is so cute.

_Okkaayyyyy just reach, Claire… it's not far._

I walked to the very tip of the branch I was on to get as close as I could to the next tree and reached out to the trunk. Just as my fingertips grazed the next tree, the branch I was on snapped.

I let out a sharp, high-pitched yelp as I slid down the trunk a few feet before getting caught on the next branch. I held on tight, breathing hard with my eyes closed for a few moments.

My earpiece buzzed again, "You alright?"

"Ya John, I'm good. And I'm serious, I will tell mom if I fall and break my back."

I could hear him chuckle lightly in my ear, "I know ya will. Maybe you should just come down and I'll send up a few Marines later.

"No it's ok, I'm almost there anyways."

I finally opened my eyes wide enough to look down and see the concern on Ronon's face staring up at me. With a light sigh my eyes flicked up to the next branch and went back to talking to myself, "Ok Claire, easy peasy, you got this… Do it for the beer… Tree, beer, drunk, good time."

My breathing didn't slow as I reached for the next branch and began to swivel myself around the tree so I could find a good spot to reach for the next. "Just ooooonnnneee more tree Claire, not far. Ugh. God I'm gunna kill John if I die. Seriously that bitch is gunna pay."

"You know your earpiece is still on, right?" I paused, stunned, as I heard John's voice in my left ear.

"Serious?" _Shit._

"Ya… and this bitch ain't havin' it. Just get down before mom gets involved in this."

I smiled, "No worries O' Brother of mine, almost there. CLAIRE OUT." I smacked my earpiece again and made sure I heard it click off.

_Hokaaayyy, aaand we're off._

There was a bit of a clearing between the branches a few steps down so I lowered myself until I was there. It was an open enough space that I could just jump the couple feet over to a solid branch on the target-tree. It was a thick branch, sturdy looking, and it had a few sturdy looking branches beside it around shoulder height that I'd be able to grab onto.

_I'd better get a medal for this._

I took a deep breath in and on the exhale I jumped as far as I could.

_I think I did it. Did I do it? I should open my eyes._

I didn't need to open my eyes to know I made it, my earpiece buzzed several times and I heard several voices yelling at me for the stupid choice.

_Yea yea yea…_

The blinking light was just a few feet above me, it was an easy climb up from where I was.

"Got it," I buzzed down to them.

It was just a silver circular signal, when I yanked it off the tree trunk the orange light faded and stopped altogether. "Interesting."

I stuffed it into the backpack and began my decent.

I was climbing down, hugging the tree trunk, and all was going smoothly until I stretched my leg out for the next branch below me but the rest of my body didn't follow. "What the…" I looked up around me, "great." The handle on my backpack got hooked on a branch. "Of course."

"What's the holdup up there?" John.

"Backpack's stuck on a branch, hang on."

I grabbed onto the branches around my arms and tried to hoist myself up high enough to unhook it, unfortunately with my reach inhibited, my legs couldn't reach anything.

_Almost theeerrreeee…_

My arms shook as the muscles stressed, I need to work out more.

I had my left arm hooked over a branch, my right hand was pushing myself up as high as possible, and my head craned up to see as high as I could but with the angle that tilted my body to, my right hand slid off the branch and I fell to the side, smacked my face on the trunk of the tree and dangled awkwardly from my left arm. I yelped as my legs kicked out to the left as I swung to a horizontal.

On the plus side, the weight of me falling broke the branch the pack was hooked on.

Scraping and scrabbling I finally got my right arm free from its tangle of branches and grabbed onto the same branch my left arm was hooked on. My legs were still kicking around trying to find something to stand on and hair was getting pulled in all directions as branches grabbed and scraped and did all they could to kill me.

My earpiece buzzed, "That's it. Stay put, I'm coming up."

"Ronon?" I could barely squeak out his name I was panting so hard and only whimpers seemed to escape my throat.

Through panic I couldn't stop my legs from kicking and I ended up snapping a few more branches and falling down about 5 feet through the tree, smashing my head on everything possible, before being caught on another few branches. Fortunately here I was able to get all limbs hooked securely on their own branch.

With my head throbbing and my vision light I just stopped there to let my head stop spinning. "I hate trees. I don't care if they make oxygen. I hate them." My breathing was panicked and heavy when I tapped my earpiece and panted out, "John….. I'm going to kill you," before I passed out 20 feet up in a tree. So safe.


	10. Ch 10 Goddammit John

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 10:**_

"Why am I always waking up here?" I asked _Mr. Scottsman_.

"Ooh, I don't know, love. But it's alright," he flashed a cheerful Beckett smile, "I like the company."

"Then I'm glad to help," I smiled back at the Scottish doctor as he walked to another patient on the other side of the room.

I looked to the right and saw my reflection staring back at me through the metallic shine of a bedpan. "Holy shit," I leaned forward towards the reflective surface and squinted, "I look like shit."

"It's about time you figured that one out." John threw his apple up in the air as he walked into the infirmary, "I've been tellin' ya that for years."

"Ha. Ha. Hilarious." I stuck out my tongue, "I'm telling mom."

"Nope," he shook his shaggy head gently as he spoke, "not part of the deal. You could only tell mom if you broke your back, and you didn't. Ergo I'm safe." He smiled an obnoxious smile as he came and sat down beside my bed, tossing the apple back and forth from hand to hand.

I sat and stared, watching, almost mesmerized by the apple. "Fair enough. But you owe me a LOT of beer."

"Once you're off the painkillers we'll get right to it." John took a loud bite of apple.

"Deal," I stuck out my hand to shake on it, "painkillers plus booze means a really sloppy night really fast." I shook my head in thought as I recalled my hand and wiped it off on the bedsheets. _Sticky apple juices. Blech._

"Yup," he nodded and made a face as he reminisced, "I remember when you got your wisdom teeth out and insisted on comin' to my Hobo's and Crackwhore's party…"

"Oh god that was a mess." I threw my head back and shut my eyes with a smile.

John continued speaking, he began gesturing with his hands resulting in apple juices flinging everywhere. Most likely on purpose. "Ya, ended up having to call mom to pick you up when you passed out in a plant-pot in the front yard dressed in only a garbage bag and fingerless gloves clutching a 40 of Old English in a paper bag."

"**After **getting so dizzy off T3's that I walked into a wall and fell into the shower stall when I went to go pee." I paused for a moment, "fortunately I didn't pee on myself."

"Yeeaaa… not so sure…" He took another loud bite as he looked away nonchalantly.

My head shot up fast in protest, "I didn't!"

"Okaaaaayyy…" John gave me a skeptical look from the side.

"Y'gotta gimme credit though, I really stayed in character." I tried to find a positive in the memory.

"That you did…" He slapped my knee as he got up to go back to his duties.

Ronon and Teyla walked in just as John straightened up, "Are we… interrupting something?" Teyla spoke slowly so as not to startle us, unfortunately for John he was so focused on his apple that he jumped at the sound.

He regained his composer quickly and took another bite, "Nah," John turned around as we both laughed, "Just lookin' back on some odd memories that's all."

"You were a whore?" I snorted out a laugh at Ronon's question, "Noo, not quite, I was just dressed like one for a party."

"You wanted to be a whore for a party…" Ronon lifted an eyebrow, clearly confused.

"Ya she was a whore." John gave Ronon a good juicy slap on the chest as he walked past to leave, "she's had a loooooooootttttt of boyfriends if ya know what I mean." He winked, "stay awaaaayyy."

I shot up in my bed, "John!?" I grabbed a Kleenex box off the bedside table and hucked it at him just as he ran off with his beloved apple.

Next I looked to Ronon calmly, "I didn't have lots of boyfriends…. Well I did, but that's not the point I mean I-" Rodney showed up and cut me off, thank god.

"SO!" He clapped his hands together in order to pull the attention of the crowd. "Hey Rodney," I smiled, grateful for the interruption. "Oh did you figure out what that thing is yet?"

"No, Zalenka and I have been scouring the database and still nothing."

"Hmm." I looked back up at Rodney, "How 'bout the ZPM, any power left?"

"Yes! Actually, quite a bit." Rodney stood with a very excited look on his face. No doubt imagining all the things he could turn on and discover with the extra push of power.

I looked down in thought before my gaze shifted up to Ronon, "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't easy, so thanks for getting me down from the tree."

"No problem, it was actually pretty easy. You passed out and fell most of the way, I just caught ya a few feet up in the trees n' tossed ya over my shoulder."

My mouth dropped open before I screamed, "JOOOOOOOOHHHHNNNNNN!"

**XXXXX**

I stepped into the cafeteria with a ferocious temper.

_Put me in danger, stupid pissheaded lunatic. I KNEW something bad was gunna happen but nooooOOoo, _"c'mon, you'll be fiiine," I mocked my brother's voice as I noticed him and stomped towards him at the table.

"You."

"Me?" John looked up, startled, from his soup.

"You didn't tell me I** fell** out of the tree!"

"You didn't ask! And technically you didn't fall **out **of the tree… Ronon caught you."

"That doesn't count! Look at me!" I gestured to all the red scrapes and cuts all over my face and hands. "I'm a disaster!"

"Don't need to look at you to know that." He looked up at me, "you must admit, you set yourself up for that one."

"Definitely." _Goddammit._

John went back to his soup, purposefully slurping as noisily as possible from his spoon.

I looked down on him in disgust, "You sound like a babbling brook."

"So do you, shuttup, I'm eating."

"Ya, why are you always eating, don't you have work to do?"

My question was met by silence which annoyed me even more. I stood there, bruised, scraped and broken, staring down at my brother. "Next time you get kidnapped I'm not saving you."

"Ronon and Teyla saved me." John smirked knowing he'd hit a nerve. _All I want is some goddam appreciation!_ I huffed and stomped my foot like a child just before I let out the weirdest screech of frustration ever, "EEEEUUUAAAAAGHHHH!" (Sounding something like that) before I stormed away feeling all the eyes in the cafeteria follow me.


	11. Ch 11 Are You Afraid of the Dark?

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 11:**_

"Wake up terdface." John kicked me in the side as he walked past.

"Good morning to you too, dearest brother of mine." I stretched as I pushed myself up with a yawn and adjusted my tank top. "So, what's goin' on now?"

"Still not sure." John sat back down near the doorway and peeked out.

"Can you even see anything? It's so dark." I crawled over to where he was to see if it was brighter in the hallway. It wasn't.

"I can't see much, no, but I'll be able to see movement if someone comes this way."

"Ah." I sat back against the wall and sighed, "I hope this doesn't take forever."

Last night all the power failed all over the city except the control room. Everywhere is dark. Dr. Weir announced that she wanted everyone to stay put just in case until they found out why. Apparently they've had several accidents in the past where something will go wrong in one place and spread needlessly because of lack of quarantine. Last night John and I had decided to try sparring… not a great idea for bickering siblings. So now here I am, bruised to hell, dressed in some little grey workout shorts and a wife-beater, and stuck in a sparring room with my cranky, hungry, sweaty brother for who knows how long.

"Why'd you wake me up if nothing's happening?" I scratched the back of my head and got my fingers tangled into a knot of fluffy, brown hair.

"Cause you're snoring."

"I don't snore!"

"Oooh yes you do. You sound like a dying monkey."

"I do not! Anyone I've ever slept with has **never **said I snore!"

John's face wrinkled with disgust, "Euuugh can ya not bring up the fact that you're a slut?"

"I'm not a slut!?"

"Maybe not **now**. But I know a loooooot of my friends who can tell me the color of your bed sheets."

"Like who! Name one."

"Jerry."

"He… helped me paint my room." I shuffled nervously trying to lie.

"Cory."

"My dresser broke…?"

"Luke."

"Ok. That was **one **time."

"Steve."

"I think we're done here!" I threw my arms up in annoyance. _One day I will win._

John was laughing through his disgust and in a quiet but high pitched voice murmured, "Sluuuuuuuuuuttt."

"Kay, maybe at one point in my life, yes, but I'm not anymore! I've been on Atlantis how long now and I haven't slept with anyone!"

"Good. Keep it that way."

"Grrrrrrrr." My fists were in little balls by my sides now, "Ok, well since I don't snore, why did you **really **wake me up?"

"Cause if I can't sleep, you can't either."

"Why can't you sleep? It's just a power outage."

My question was met by silence.

"Aaawwwe is ickle Johnny-kins afwaid of the big bad scawwy daaaarrrkkkk!"

"Oh shuttup," he waved an arm at me as I let out a snort of a laugh. "Seriously, shhh," he continued to peer around the corner suspiciously.

"What are you looking for?"

"Shhhh!" John waved an arm in my direction to quiet down. I sat still and listened closely until I heart a feint scratchy, thumping out in the hall.

_Footsteps? They don't sound normal… I thought no one was supposed to move…_

I was about to crawl closer to John but the footsteps stopped. I waited a moment to see if someone was going to walk in, but no one did.

"Did you see anyone?" I whispered.

"No," John leaned further out the doorway and looked either way down the hall, "there's no one out here."

He tapped his earpiece, "Elizabeth, d'you copy?"

I could just barely hear her on the other end, "Yes John. Any news?"

"Someone or something is moving, we heard some funny footsteps just now but we don't see anyone." John dodged and took another look into the hall.

"John, no life signs are moving on the scanner except for Ronon, but he's stuck a few doors down from you. He seems to be pacing in a storage room."

"We definitely heard something."

"Interesting, what sector are you in? Just to make sure I'm looking at the right one."

"East wing sparring room." John was still whispering just in case.

"There's no one else there, John." Weir's voice was becoming cracky through the com.

"Hmm. I'll keep you posted. Lemme know if anyone else reports anything."

"Will do, Weir out."

John sighed and leaned back, "I don't think whatever's going on is just a simple power outage. I think someone's here, or something. I dunno, something's wrong."

"You're super freakin' me out man."

**2 Hours Later**

I slumped back against the wall and let out a loud huff of air as John woke up, "any news?" I was hoping he was jolted awake by a message from Weir.

"No," John stretched his arms tall above his head, "nothing."

"I wish I had Pacman on this thing." I shook the scanner I had in my hands in frustration.

"Where'd you get that?" John looked at me curiously.

"Found it over there while YOU were SNORING." I exaggerated the words just to bug him as I gestured towards a junk pile in the corner of the room. "I don't think it works though… it's been showing me feint green wisps zig-zagging through the hallways but I've been watching out the door and there's still nothing there."

"Gimme that," John grabbed the Ancient device quickly from my hands.

"Alright Mr. Grabby-pants…" I leaned closer to him to continue watching the wisps, they were kind of mesmerizing in a way.

"I read a report a while back, it mentioned streaks like this." His head snapped up towards the junk pile and he quickly got up to check it out.

"I don't think it picks up human signs 'cause it doesn't show us or Ronon down the hall. I've been watching it, only these green things appear." I gestured to the screen pointedly. "At first I thought it was broken but..." My voice trailed off as I watched him riffle through the presumed trash.

"The Ancients dealt with something like this a long time ago… I just can't remember the rest of the report." He tapped his earpiece in a hurry and explained all we'd discovered to Dr. Weir and I could hear her on the other end commenting that we should patch Rodney into the conversation as well, see if he knew anything.

"John!" I whispered as loudly as I could as my head snapped up, "listen."

Again we could hear the noise, though this time it didn't sound like footsteps as much as a muffled bone on metal scratching sound.

"It sounds closer." I looked at John nervously as he crawled towards the doorway again to look out and see if he could match the signs on the scanner to something out in the hall. While he watched the scanner, he very quietly repeated all he'd said to Dr. Weir, to Rodney through the communicator.

I curled my head over his shoulders so I could see out too, "John it should be right here, right in front of us." I pointed down at the scanner in his hands to show one of the wisps had stopped right in front of our doorway.

John and I sat silent as we watched and waited for something to happen.

My heart began to race in panic as we heard a strange huffing/grunting noise that sounded extremely close. I felt a wind on my shoulder and looked behind me to see no windows in the room. _Is that wind? Or something breathing…_


	12. Ch 12 Scratches

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 12:**_

**RECAP: **

_John and I sat silent as we watched and waited for something to happen._

_My heart began to race in panic as we heard a strange huffing/grunting noise that sounded extremely close. I felt a wind on my shoulder and looked behind me to see no windows. Is that wind? Or something breathing…_

**XXXXX**

"John…" I whispered cautiously, "did you feel that too?"

"Ooooh most definitely," John's head snapped down as the wisp began to move farther away.

"Was something breathing on us?!"

"Not too sure."

Once again we heard that strange bone on metal scratching/grinding noise, "John, look." I pointed forward towards the wall adjacent to us, eyes wide.

John looked up and in the direction I was pointing, "Holy shit."

From our spot in the doorway we watched as strange symbols and signs were carved into the wall.

"I guess that's what that scraping noise was, what d'you think it means? Was there anything else in the report about this?"

"I don't know, I told you I don't remember."

"You'd think you'd remember something like this."

"Ya well I don't." I could tell John was getting grumpier and grumpier but I didn't care.

"How could this not even trigger a memory?! There are symbols carving themselves into the walls of Atlantis!"

John sat silent for a moment listening to Rodney's panicked babbling on the other end about every move he was making so that in case he was injured, we could find him. I flopped back again against the wall at an angle I could still see out.

"John?" I whispered as the scratched symbols continued to appear.

"What."

"What if it's some kind of super-evolved animal…" He straightened up as if listening but didn't respond. "Think about it, the breathing, the strange grunting/growling noises… granted the thing's invisible but still… whatever it is, it's alive, and it's smart. It's trying to communicate with us, I don't think it's dangerous, John." I looked further out into the hall as the scratching ended. "I think if it was dangerous, it would have showed us that five minutes ago when it was breathing on us."

John tapped his earpiece, "Rodney, search the databanks for any invisible animals, beasts, creatures, aliens, whatever."

_Wow, he listened to me…_

"Tell him to also research any languages they may have, describe the symbols."

I studied them from the doorway until my curiosity got the best of me and I scuttled out into the hall to take a closer look. They looked as if they'd popped out of a picture book but a bit more sadistic.

"Claire!" I heard John whisper/shouting from the doorway and turned to motion for him to come out and look.

"There's clearly a sun, just as a child would draw one, at the top." I pointed to the top symbol, just a circle with lines coming off it as rays. "And the next one-"

John cut me off, "It looks like a box of Raisin Bran."

I stared up at him with a very deadpan look, "It's not Raisin Bran."

"I'm hungry!"

"Do we even have Raisin Bran here?"

"Yes! I brought some last time we were home."

"Nice…" I trailed off in thought dreaming of cereal, or any food for that matter, until I remembered what we were doing.

"Kay, right after the cereal, look."

John peered closer, "Kinda looks like a bunch of palm trees."

I stared up at John waiting for the forever dormant light bulb that was supposedly residing in his brain to click on. "Oooooooooh…"

I stretched out my hand to graze my fingertips over the symbols, "It's not a cereal box, it's a ZPM."

John scratched his chin in thought, "So you're telling me whatever these things are, they're roaming around looking for the ZPM you took from that tree?"

"That'd be my first guess, ya. I don't know what its purpose is out in that forest but whatever it is, I guess it's important enough for these things to follow us here to get it back."

"So that's a sun," John pointed to the different symbols as he spoke, "a ZPM, and a bunch of trees. So what's that one?" He pointed at the fourth symbol.

I cocked my head to the side as I looked at it, "It kinda looks like raindrops and two giant X's…"

"Hugs n' kisses?"

I looked up at him again, "I don't think this thing finishes its letters like grandma does."

John spun around suddenly at the sound of footsteps approaching followed by a gruff voice.

"I heard noise." I screeched as silently as I could at the sudden new voice.

"Ronon you jerk you scared the crap outta me!" I punched him in the shoulder as punishment but ended up cracking my knuckles.

"Seriously? Did you just hurt yourself trying to hurt me?"

"My knuckles cracked! It's not my fault you have biceps like bricks."

"And it's not my fault you have knuckles like twigs." Ronon grinned as he looked down at me and I couldn't help but smile despite our situation. "Nice shorts."

"You don't look at her shorts." John grunted out as he tried to look intellectually at the symbols.

John took the next couple minutes explaining everything we'd discovered to Ronon. All about the noises, the breathing, the scratching, and told him everything he could about the symbols as I studied the fourth one. Suddenly it occurred to me that this must not be the only place where symbols had been scratched, I started wandering down the hallway to the left and it wasn't long before I ran into some more.

"John!"

They ran over to me as I pointed to the new row of symbols.

"More Raisin Bran…" John mumbled to himself.

I elbowed him in the gut, "They're ZPM's, idiot."

"What's Raisin Bran?" Ronon's gruff voice questioned behind us.

I sighed and shut my eyes as John began explaining about his delicious cereal and I realized how hopeless it would be to try and explain the symbols any further until I figured out what they really meant.

I traced the symbols a few times over with my fingers in thought.

_Kay… It definitely has something to do with the ZPM in the tree… We didn't know they were there at the time because they're invisible… Whatever these things are they seem to be harmless, just trying to send a message… Clearly they want their ZPM back… But why? What could it do for them?_

"Hey look," John pointed to the final symbols, "more hugs n' kisses…"

"I think it may be some kind of death threat actually…"

"How d'you figure?" I glanced back at Ronon before staring at the wall again.

"Well, I don't know… it just seems like sadness or tears," I gazed over the little raindrop shaped carving, "as if something or someone was hurt." My eyes flicked the the X's, "and John, you may think of kisses when you see a big X but to me it's more of a death mark. A warning."

I thought about my previous question for a moment. _A warning of danger for who though. For us? Or for them._

Just at that moment John's earpiece buzzed and we all heard Rodney's panicked voice on the other end. He had found something in the database about a race of creatures the Ancient's called Thantin's. They're invisible, big, and behave almost like animal versions of cavemen.

"Oooo," I bounced on my toes excitedly, "ask him if it says anything about why they'd need the ZPM!"

"Claire's wondering what they need with the ZPM."

I heard Rodney on the other end explaining that the ZPM is actually what produces the oxygen on their home planet, not the trees alone. The little flashing orange sensor I had taken with it was a shield that protected that sector and kept the oxygen in. Without those, all the Thantin's in that population zone have been slowly suffocating to death.

I huffed as I thought of all the death that had come from our selfish actions. _Look before you leap. We shouldn't have taken it before knowing why it was there in the first place._

Quickly, I came to the only conclusion.

"Frick. We have to get it back. Fast." My demeanor turned sour as I realized my tree-hike was all for nothing.

John glanced down at the scanner and snapped around quickly as if looking for them right behind us.

"John?" I peered over at the scanner and realized why he was so startled.

"What?" Ronon looked between my frightened look and John's frozen stance.

"There are five of them right there." I gestured to right in front of John and noticed his hair blowing in the breeze of their breathing. _They know we figured it out._

I took a few steps forwards and spoke with a shaky voice, "We understand what we've done, and we'll put your ZPM back as fast as possible. We are truly sorry."

Just as I finished speaking, there was a light breeze, and all the green wisps faded away from the scanner.

"Wow… that was weird." I took a deep breath as John radioed Rodney, "sorry bud, but we gotta get that ZPM back."

I laughed as I heard Rodney's groans and grumblings about all the things he could have turned on and all the possibilities of knowledge being torn from his grasp.

_He'll get over it._


	13. Ch 13 Best Brother Ever

Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.

_CHAPTER 13:_

"So," I sat beside John feeling rather smug, "Now I've saved your ass AND solved an invisible problem!"

"Eh, I woulda got it."

"Dude, you thought the ZPM was cereal…"

"I was hungry at the time."

"Not even just cereal but specifically Raisin Bran! Admit it, I saved us!"

"I'm the one that read the report!"

"Ya and then forgot it, just admit it!"

"I admit nothing."

"GUYS!" John and I both turned to Dr. Weir, both a little shocked, "We're in the middle of a meeting. Can you PLEASE be grown-ups for the next 10 minutes?"

"Fine." We both grumbled in unison.

After a few moments of listening to Dr. Weir and Mr. Woolsey talking, John leaned over to me and whispered, "Definitely forgot we were in a meeting."

"Ya me too."

Dr. Weir cleared her throat, peering in our direction, making us both sit up straight and smile awkwardly. I feel like I'm back in high school being reprimanded for gossiping in class.

After the meeting I remembered I'd told Rodney and Dr. Beckett I'd help them out in the lab for a bit so I headed in that direction, bumping into Ronon in the halls along the way.

"Aahh!" I yelped as I rounded the corner and got knocked down; walking into Ronon is like walking into a brick wall, I don't think he even budged.

"How are you always getting injured?"

"How are you always so hard?"

I got up and brushed the non-existent dirt off my ass until my eyes widened at what I'd just said, "Oh my god that came out so wrong, uhm, I meant like... Why are you so firm…" I winced in desperation as all adjectives in mind just reminded me of a dudes penis gettin' ready for you-know-what.

"Ugh, I mean…" I hung my head, giving up on English, life, my pride… I was just getting ready to drop into a small black cloud of melodramatic self-inflicted sorrow when Ronon popped my bubble.

"Why are you so…" He waved his hands around in the air while he made an odd scrunched up face at me, "odd, my muscles are hard, I know, I'm pretty proud of it actually." He flexed and slapped his bicep with a grin.

I was lost for a moment, staring at his bicep, until it occurred to me that he didn't get the reference at all… _not from earth! I'm off the hook!_

While straightening up my posture and slapping a smile onto my face I squeezed his bicep, "Right you are Ronon! Yup! Hard as rock."

_Aaaaand of course, just my luck... Enter, big brother._

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" He snapped his fingers into guns like a child playing Cops n' Robbers would do, "BOOM!"

He was almost past us until a funny look crossed his face and he backtracked to right beside me, "Why are you touching his bicep?"

Ronon grinned excitedly as he flexed again, "'Cause she said I was hard."

John's eyebrows disappeared under his fluffball hair and a wide grin plastered itself across his face as he swivelled his eyes to meet mine, "That's _literally _what she said."

"I hate you so much." My face was a complete dead pan look. Just as I thought I'd gotten away with my word-fumble and twirled out of my black cloud with such innocent grace, my Demon Spawn Brother appears and throws me back in.

"I assume Ronon didn't say that did he… being from another planet and whatnot…"

I stared.

"I have to go."

As I started to walk away I felt my ponytail being tugged teasingly. Instantly I whipped around to flick John in the face until I noticed it was Ronon's arm retracting and my brothers hands were in his pockets.

"Not gunna say bye to me?" Ronon grinned like a school boy would when he saw his crush strut past.

My cheeks flushed and a playful smile spread over my face as I sang out, "Good byyyyee Ronon!" And gave his arm a final, flirty, squeeze as I walked past.

It wasn't long before I realized I was being followed.

"Where ya goin'?"

"Go away, John."

"Where ya goin'?"

"Lab."

"Why?"

"Working with Beckett and Rodney."ó

"Why?"

"They want my help with something."

"Why?"

"I dunno, they didn't say."

"Why?"

"Don't you have somewhere to be? Like, I dunno, being run over by a Jeep or something?"

"We don't have Jeeps on Atlantis."

"Then get creative."

"You're touchy today," John skipped up to match my stride.

I took a deep breath and shut my eyes for a moment so I didn't explode but said nothing.

"Why?"

"I will scratch your eyeballs out."

"Your nails aren't long enough. Plus you're a woman, and you're weak."

"Never said I'd use my nails."

"Still weak."

I stopped mid-step and whirled on him, "I'll tell everyone your middle name!"

His face fell, "You wouldn't."

An evil grin took over my expression, "Try me."

There was a moment of silence and I could see the tiny, fat, hamster trying to run as fast as possible on its wheel to power John's brain as he considered his options.

Suddenly he smiled, "Have fun in the lab Dearie!"

"Never. Ever. EVER. Call me _Dearie_!"

All I heard was a crow-like laugh as he disappeared behind me, I shook my head and glanced at my watch, "Shit, I am so late." Picking up my pace, I scurried off on my way to the lab.

**XXXXX**

"Stop moping Rodney," I picked up a microscope from one counter and moved it to the next so it'd be closer to the scanners.

"I just can't help but dream of all the stuff we could have done with that extra ZPM!"

"I know, I know, but hey… would you rather turn on a light bulb, or have the empty lungs of an entire race on your hands?"

"I wouldn't mind the lungs. They're invisible anyways."

"Rodney!?"

"No one will miss them! No one even knows they're there!"

"Rodney!"

He waved me off with a grunt and wandered off down the hall to grab some samples from Dr. Beckett.

It's been a week now since we returned the ZPM we'd taken back to the Thantin's home planet and set it all back up.

We sent Marines up the trees this time, I refused.

Rodney hasn't stopped griping since then, it's actually getting rather annoying. I've spent a lot of time with him, Dr. Zelenka, and Dr. Beckett lately, we've been studying Wraith DNA to try and understand more about them and how their systems work.

Beckett was hoping that maybe with fresh eyes (aka mine) I'd be able to see something they've glazed over a dozen times.

So far, no dice.

Rodney flopped down on the chair beside me while I peered through the scope at the samples. "Why do bad things always happen to me?"

"Are you serious right now?" I looked up at his droopy face.

"It was in my hands! I had it!"

"I'm gunna hit you."

"I'm your elder and your mentor. You can't hit me."

I pondered that for a moment, _dammit. _

"Can you at least go complain to Dr. Beckett or Dr. Zelenka? I'm already in my black cloud. I don't need yours too."

"Naaahhh," he leaned his elbow on the table and dropped his chin into his palm, "Zelenka just walks off speaking his jibberish language and Beckett just pretends I don't exist."

"Take that as a sign." I lifted my head and furrowed my eyebrows, "and Zelenka speaks Czech, not _jibberish_."

"Hey," Rodney stood up, "I'm a super-scientist ok. I know that. I was being funny."

"You couldn't be funny if it kicked you in the face."

"What does that even mean?"

"Not too sure really, John said it to me one time when I was starring in the school play and he was trying to tell me to wear more makeup 'cause I looked hideous." I frowned as I reminisced on the delightful memory.

_You couldn't play a hot chick even if one kicked you in the face._

It never made sense to me, of course I couldn't play a hot chick if I was kicked in the face… I'd be bruised up and gross.

"Best brother ever." I mumbled to myself.

"Huh… interesting."

"Yeaaa, anyways, go do stuff or whatever." I waved him off and went back to my samples, taking notes as I went.


	14. Ch 14 Shotgun

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 14:**_

**RECAP:**

"_Can you at least go complain to Dr. Beckett or Dr. Zelenka? I'm already in my black cloud. I don't need yours too."_

"_Naaahhh," he leaned his elbow on the table and dropped his chin into his palm, "Zelenka just walks off speaking his jibberish language and Beckett just pretends I don't exist."_

"_Take that as a sign." I lifted my head and furrowed my eyebrows, "and Zelenka speaks Czech, not jibberish."_

"_Hey," Rodney stood up, "I'm a super-scientist ok. I know that. I was being funny."_

"_You couldn't be funny if it kicked you in the face."_

"_What does that even mean?"_

"_Not too sure really, John said it to me one time when I was starring in the school play and he was trying to tell me to wear more makeup 'cause I looked hideous." I frowned as I reminisced on the delightful memory. _

_**You couldn't play a hot chick even if one kicked you in the face.**_

_It never made sense to me, of course I couldn't play a hot chick if I was kicked in the face… I'd be bruised up and gross._

"_Best brother ever." I mumbled to myself._

"_Huh… interesting."_

"_Yeaaa, anyways, go do stuff or whatever." I waved him off and went back to my samples, taking notes as I went._

**XXXXX**

About 20 minutes later I realized I had been abandoned in the lab.

I hunched over the computer to read up on what they'd already discovered, griping about doing all the work, when I got smacked in the back of the head by what felt like a metal pole.

"What the hell man?!" I whipped around to see John and Ronon standing there looking innocent.

"John."

"Hmm?" He smiled politely at me as he held something behind his back.

"Jooooohn… what are you holding?"

"Oh nothing."

I glanced over to Ronon, whose shoulders were shaking as he laughed silently to himself.

I frowned, _Ronon's supposed to be on my team here._

"John, I'm going to attack you if you don't show me what you have."

"Aaaaand I'm going to hit you with what I have if you attack me for not showing you what I have!"

"What, are you the Mad Hatter now?"

"Yes, child. And you are my _Alice_. Jump into my hat now and lets spin off to another world!"

"What are you even talking about?!" I tried to resist as he and Ronon kidnapped me and we spun off to the Jumper Bay.

**XXXXX**

"Kay seriously guys, what is this? And what did you hit me with?" I felt the bump forming on the back of my head and winced.

"I told you, you hit her too hard," Ronon mumbled to John.

"Ehhhh she'll be fine, she's got a thick skull." John smiled mockingly.

"At least my skull's not empty." I stared John down as he glared back at me.

"Whatever. Shuttup."

"Nice comeback loser."

"Silence your mouth, seagull."

"Seagull?" I raised an eyebrow as I questioned his new insult.

"Ya, y'know… 'cause they're annoying n' loud n' stuff." John spoke in a relaxed tone as he raised the ship off the ground and headed for the Bay door.

"Wow. That was... TERRIBLE. Seagull? Really?"

"It was spur of the moment."

"What's a seagull?" I glanced over to see Ronon leaning on the back of John's pilot chair, looking thoroughly lost.

_Right, not from earth._

"They're white birds that make a really obnoxious sound and don't shuttup." John giggled to himself as he continued to insult me through description.

"Thanks John." I turned to Ronon to take over the Seagull Explanation, "they fly around in flocks around beaches n' stuff. Anywhere near the water really."

"Oh, like Kellhawks!" Ronon straightened up and his eyes lit up.

"Like what now?"

"Kellhawks!"

John and I both blinked silently.

"You don't have those?"

"Sorry, no…" My imagination got away with me at that moment and I started daydreaming up a giant hawk-like bird but skeletal like a Thestral is, for some reason in my head it had monstrous teeth and huge feet with knives as nails. I scrunched up my nose at the mental image until I was broken from my reverie by John's obnoxious demands.

"C'mere."

I got up off the seat and wandered over behind John's chair feeling disturbed by my dreamt up creature and annoyed by my abduction when I looked down and saw his weapon.

"A GOLF CLUB?! Seriously? You hit me in the head with a golf club?!"

"It was for a good cause!"

"Jesus, I could have died!"

"Oh don't be so melodramatic." He paused for a moment and shrugged, "and I know I'm amazing n' all but you don't need to call me Jesus." He smirked at his own wit until I flicked his ear.

"Owe," John rubbed his ear in annoyance and grumbled, "Just look."

I stood beside Ronon, "Look at what?"

"Look!" John pointed ahead towards the ocean more viciously this time.

"I don't get it, what am I looking for?!"

"There," Ronon put a gentle hand on my lower back and ushered me closer to the windshield and pointed more directly to a tiny island in the middle of nowhere.

I glanced at John, "You dragged me out here for that little piece of dirt?"

"Waaaaait for it." John leveled out the Jumper just before landing and Ronon covered my eyes from behind.

"This is ridiculous."

I was about to protest more when I felt Ronon lean closer to me, "You'll like it, I promise." He paused for a moment. "Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you, it's HIM I don't trust." I pointed in an obscure direction where I thought John was.

"…You don't trust a medical kit?"

I paused, "Well," I tried to think of something clever to say, "You never know… its contents may be outdated and that can lead to strange reactions or allergies or whatever."

"Sure," I heard Ronon chuckle beside me before he began leading me out of the cockpit and down the ramp till I felt the squish of sand beneath my shoes.

As I continued to wonder what the point of this was and frowned under Ronon's hands (which practically covered my face, not just my eyes) I heard a very familiar noise to my right. My head snapped up at the sound of a can being cracked and I sniffed in deeply the smell in front of me.

An immediate smile replaced the frown on my face as I wiggled out of Ronon's hands and darted to the drink in front of me.

I took a deep gulp of my ice cold beer and sighed, "Aaaaah what a delight."

I scanned around me, Teyla and Rodney were off in the distance carrying a cooler bin into the shade of some trees.

I raised my beer as a cheers and smiled at Teyla before ripping off my Atlantis jacket, shoes, and socks, and went running through the sand back to the waterline where Ronon was pulling off his shirt and stepping into the ocean. _Yum._

I didn't notice it until now but both he and my brother were wearing shorts_. Bastards. Here I am stuck in my uniform._

"Here, I have brought you this." Teyla was beside me now and smiling brightly, holding a mango cooler and passing me my two piece bathing suit from my room. "I apologize for intruding into your room, but I thought you would like it."

"Nice!" I threw my arms around her excitedly and ran off to change in the woods with a massive grin on and shouting "thaaaank yoooooooou!" to her over my shoulder.

**XXXXX**

"So," I turned to John, "you've never done anything nice before… why this?"

John stared at me awkwardly, "It's your birthday…"

"Seriously?"

"Ya, drink up," he cheersed me and smiled, "you're 27!"

"Ew, don't say that. So ooooold."

I took another gulp of my beer, finishing it off, and straightened out my blue bikini top. "Shit… how'd I not know?"

"Meh," he shrugged, "lost track of days? We don't really follow a space-calendar too closely." He tossed me another closed beer, "plus y'know… you looked like crap this morning so I figured this would help."

I punched his arm, smiling, "You're a dick y'know that?"

"I do, cheers." We clinked drinks and sat in silence for a moment. As much as we bicker and bash each other, there is some kind of love hidden deep… deep… DEEP down that gets dug up once in a while. Mainly for mother's day, it's like her gift for us to be nice and smile during pictures instead of photo-bombing all of them by shoving each other in the background.

"Thanks big bro," I smiled at him and took another swig.

"Don't call me that." He looked at me with a sarcastic grimace, "You're _old,_ as you say, and you're only 27. So shuttup 'cause I'm older."

"Loser." I smiled and shoved him over in the sand before I ran into the water and jumped on Ronon, knocking him down with a big splash and a lot of laughter.

John and Teyla tanned and drank on the beach while Rodney lathered himself with as much sunscreen as humanly possible and set up a massive umbrella for shade leaving Ronon and I in the water with an inflatable inner tube filled with ice and beer.

"Well," Ronon raised a closed beer, "happy birthday!" He was about to crack it open when I jumped him.

"NO!"

He stopped suddenly, afraid he'd done something wrong.

"Ya gotta shot-gun it." I grinned and pulled up a couple rocks sharp enough to cut the cans. He looked at me oddly, "Have you never shot-gunned a beer before?!"

He looked at me and smiled strangely, "Not from earth, remember?"

"Shit, right. Ok, well I'll demonstrate, then we'll do another together. Deal?"

I grabbed a rock and stabbed the side of the can, tilted it, cracked it, and drank all the beer that came rushing out.

"And THAT," I chucked the empty can into the inner tube, "is how you shot-gun!"

"ARE YOU SHOT-GUNNING?!" My attention snapped to the beach as John yelled and ran out to meet us, "WAIT!"

The three of us stood out there for about an hour bullshitting around and throwing things as we got drunker and drunker, slamming beer after beer and laughing as Ronon struggled to get his dreads out of the way as he drank.

Eventually we ran low and John grabbed the inner tube and started dragging it back to shore.

"Fill up time?"

"You know it," he smirked back at me.

"Gimme those first!" I collected the last couple beers in the tube before saluting John on his voyage back to land.

I paused a moment before I turned to Ronon, "Shot-gun?"

Ronon grinned in agreement and took one of the two beers I had in my hands and we stabbed and cracked 'em together.

He smiled as we threw our cans into the tube. There's something about his eyes that's very captivating right now… I suddenly noticed he had a hold of my chin and was wiping some spilled beer off my bottom lip, I watched as his eyes locked on my lips. The school-girl side of me couldn't help but smile nervously and his eyes flicked back up to mine as he grinned.

The two of us stood there awkwardly for a moment until he retracted his hand from my face but still watched my lips. Heat filled my cheeks.

"Fuck it." I threw myself at him and hugged my arms around his neck and kissed him, I felt his strong arms wrap around my waist and I finally felt where I belong as we tipped over and crashed down into the water.

**XXXXX**

Eventually, the five of us were lined up at the shoreline, drunk as shit and watching the sun set.

Rodney slumped in his large white lounge chair under an umbrella with a table beside him to hold his vodka-cran, "This is the life eh?"

_Canadians, eh? Gotta love 'em._

Teyla lay on a matching chair on the opposite side of the table, "it is beautiful." The sand beside her was splattered with empty cooler cans and she held tight to the last one in her hands.

John was lying flat on his back on an orange beach towel with his eyes closed as he slowly passed out, also surrounded by crushed empty cans (and drooling a bit too- way too drunk).

Ronon and I had shuffled our towels closer and lay wrapped together watching the shades of oranges and pinks as the suns last rays sunk behind Atlantis.

"I'm glad John got so drunk."

"Why's that?"

"Well, this way, he didn't try n' beat us up with his golf club." I smiled and looked back at Ronon and moved a sticky, beer soaked, dreadlock off his face.

"It really is beautiful out here," I smiled and squinted as one final spot of yellow sun glistened off the tallest peak of Atlantis and skewed my vision.

"Beautiful is one word you could use to describe what I'm seeing," I looked over at Ronon to find him looking at me, not the sun, and smiled.

I lightly tugged a single, sticky, dread as he brought his face closer to mine and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of my nose, "Happy birthday, Claire."


	15. Ch 15 Frickin' Frackin'

**Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.**

_**CHAPTER 15:**_

"UUUuuuuuuughhhhhh," I rolled over gripping my head. "Oh my god, my brain…"

Ronon woke up with a groan and rubbed his eyes as I rolled around in his arms, feeling nothing but agony.

"You alright?"

I groaned in despair and squinted my eyes up at him, "I need a beer." I rolled out of Ronon's arms and scuttled over to the cooler only to find no booze left.

"You're up?" John rolled over, "Hey, toss me a beer."

"Can't. We're out." I turned weakly back to stare at the sand.

"Fuuuuuuuck," John rolled back onto his back and mushed the palms of his hands into his eyes.

"My hair wreaks of beer," I looked over and watched Ronon attempt to squeeze beer out of his sopping dreads and giggled at the sight.

"Uuuuugh," John groaned again as he sat up, "I guess we should be getting back."

Rodney jumped up, as sober and pale as ever, "Actually yes, I really should be working with Carson right now on that Wraith DNA. Much to do!"

"Oh that was real? I thought that was just a plot to leave me stranded and alone and helpless in the lab."

"Oh it was that too." Just hearing Rodney talk made my brain hurt. Not just 'cause its Rodney talking but because my brain was numb from all the booze. Everything hurt.

"What the hell…" There was a strangle tickle on my arm which forced me to inspect closely, "what is that?!"

John staggered over, looking shaggy as ever, "That… looks like a space bug."

"Eeewww," I tried to flick it off but it wouldn't budge. Kinda felt like it had stuck itself to my arm, staying there via some kind of sticky web like a spider would. Upon further inspection, it looked almost like a ladybug but bright blue with black spots and with two sets of pincers at its mouth.

"It's sticky," I poked at it some more and to my surprise it made a hissing noise at me, "woah," most bugs don't do that."

"Space bug, remember?" John grabbed a twig and tried wiping it off, accidentally killing it and smushing it along my arm.

"Jooooooohhhnn!?"

"What?! I didn't mean to!"

"Yes you did, ewwwww space bug juices!" I started shaking my arm around trying to get it off. Its insides seemed to be a greenish blackish gunk, so gross.

"Yaaaa you're right I definitely did."

John seemed to be enjoying this, "Quit smilin' so smugly!"

"I'm not being smug!"

"Yes you are! Help me you douche!"

"It's not your birthday anymore I don't have to do anything!"

"I'll wipe it on you."

"Don't you dare."

"I'll do it!" I took a step forward towards John making him take a step back.

"Doooon't," he whined and looked around for help, "Teeyyyllaaaaa!?"

"Teyla won't save you now!" In his moment of hangover-weakness I launched myself at him, wiping bug juices all over his Atlantis Jacket.

"I just had this dry-cleaned!"

"You did not! There's ketchup all over the sleeve!"

"That's new from last night," John wiped his hands over the ketchup stain in annoyance.

"That's not new, we don't even have ketchup on this rock… We ate pre-wrapped cafeteria sandwiches, remember?"

"Mine… had ketchup in it…?"

"You're weird." I scrunched my face imagining ketchup on a turkey sandwich, "yuck."

I suddenly heard a familiar buzz coming from Rodney's table, "John."

"What d'you want you twit."

"I think your earpiece is buzzing." I frowned and pointed, "and don't call me a twit."

"I'll call you a twit if I want." He walked towards the little table to get his gadget.

"Fine. I'll call you a twat." I smiled smugly as he frowned at that idea. "Twit for Twat as mom always said."

"Mom said tit for tat."

"Same difference, different spelling." I waved it off and turned back to the chair I was folding up.

John's face got suddenly very serious as he listened to Elizabeth talking on the other end.

"We gotta go. Hurry up." He scrambled around, not caring how anything folded and just hucked it all in the Jumper, empty scattered cans included. (Which, in turn, made the ship wreak of booze and made me wanna puke.)

"What's goin' on?" Ronon's gruff voice piped up from behind me.

"Wraith are on their way. Two hives. Here in 18 hours."

My eyes widened, I still haven't seen a real Wraith, "Mother trucker."

A strange excitement came over me, a real Wraith, in the flesh… or whatever it is they have… they remind me of fish… scales?

**XXXXX**

"Oh my god, are you guys even going to be able to function?" Dr. Weir waved a hand in front of her face and took a step backwards trying to dodge the stench of beer and vodka as we all stumbled out.

"We'll sort it out." John smiled and adjusted his Aviators, hiding his red and squinty eyes from the light.

"Euuuch," she made a really disgusted face and turned to Rodney and I, "I need you both in the lab and back at those samples. We need a weak spot. Go."

"Yes ma'am!" I straightened up before Rodney and I ran off, still smelly with no time to shower.

**XXXXX**

_2 hours later… 16 Hours 'till Wraith…_

"Oh my god the microscope is make my eyes cross, I'm so friggin' hung." I shut my eyes tight and pinched the bridge of my nose trying to squeeze out the pain for just a moment when Rodney came over.

"Here, miracle cure."

He passed me a little bottle of Advil, "Aaahh good. Now all I need is a Gatorade and a grilled cheese sandwich and I'll be good to go."

"Ya I'm not getting those." Rodney walked off back to his computer to analyze my findings further.

"Worth a shot," I mumbled to myself as I lowered my face back to the microscope.

I paused and lifted my head, "Hey, d'you think maybe they're like the Wicked Witch of the West? Just hose 'em down with water and they'll melt?"

Rodney glanced at me with a face covered in sarcastic dis-respect, "I strongly doubt a small spray of water will be their Achilles Heel."

"Worth a shot." I grumbled again and went back to my slides. "What if they're like slugs? You said they evolved from the Iratus bug right? Throw some salt on 'em?"

He stared again.

"Or not," I mumbled and went back to my work. "Hang on a seccy," I refocused the scope a little closer to the small skin sample I was examining, "what's that?"

Rodney dropped his stuff and ran over to look, "How did I miss that? I'm a super-scientist how did I miss that?!"

The skin samples were alive, constantly regenerating themselves, it was gross how they almost wriggled around on the slide. While jabbing at it with some tweezers I'd spotted a tiny blue vein just under the fifth layer of 'flesh', which suggested that they still had some dominant human DNA left in them which only further proved that their experiments with the wraith becoming human could, in fact, stick permanently and without repeated injections. We just needed something strong enough to be able to really sink into their bodies to reach that vein.

That being said, we still had to figure out how to accomplish this and within the next 16 hours too. Yeah, not gunna happen.

"Ahh don't beat yourself up big guy." I smiled and leaned back in my chair.

He didn't even take the time to fight back, "I have to get this to Carson."

I got out of my chair with all intentions to follow him and continue with our research when my ear buzzed. It always startles me.

"Aah!"

"Claire."

"Goddammit John, what."

"Linguistics, now."

"Ugh, you guys realize I'm not fluent in Wraith right?"

"Well, French, Spanish etcetera… Wraith, can't be too different."

"You're an idiot." I started marching out and down the halls towards the room/office they set up where staff were constantly trying to decode and learn other languages discovered in the database. Not everyone can speak English!

Rodney buzzed me right after I 'hung up' with John.

"Where are you?!"

"Heading to Linguistics, John needs me."

"Then your discovery will now be mine!" He was taunting me. The asshole super-scientist was taunting me.

I stood still and contemplated my options; _To obey, or not to obey, that is the question._

Be an awesome super-scientist and save the world or obey big brother and decode some jibberish sent by an evil force wanting nothing more than to wipe us out.

"Claire! Hurry up! We're on the clock here!" Ugh, John.

"Sorry, got held up, coming."

After apologizing to Rodney and handing off my work-claim via radio, I ran off down the halls to see what I could do.

**XXXXX**

_6 hours later… 10 hours 'till wraith_

"Seriously John that does not mean they want ice cream. Shuttup and go away!"

"Just trying to bring a little humor y'know, relax the team."

"They don't need relaxing, they're working, and so am I. Go away."

"I'm bored though," John slumped down into the chair next to me.

"Go strategize with Weir!"

"Nahh, we've got a lotta juice left in the current ZPM, we'll be fine."

I stared at him incredulously, "How can you be so nonchalant?!"

"Fought 'em before, the shields up, meh." He shrugged and leaned back putting his hands behind his head.

"Get out." My face was stony as I pushed his wheely chair to the door.

"Aren't you a little ray of sunshine."

"Go shine a Jumper or something! Get out!"

He jumped up from his chair, "Jumpers are smear resistant!"

"They are not! There's shit all over them!"

"Hey! My Jumpers are in PRIME condition!"

"One of them is still filled with beer cans!"

"YOUR beer cans!"

"Don't pin this on me, just 'cause it was MY birthday doesn't mean they're all mine!"

"Yes it does."

"Dude, you were so drunk you passed out in your own drool." I smirked as I spoke.

John pointed at me and yelled, "She puked in the woods!"

"I did NOT!"

"Totally did."

"That was YOU! I took a video of it on my phone, wanna see?"

"I hate you."

"Hah." I smiled, finally proud that I won.

I turned back to face the group of linguists I didn't know as the door awkwardly slid closed behind me. Everything was silent and they all stared at me.

"Soorryyyy…" I trailed off and sat down feeling completely mortified.


	16. Ch 16 Our Imminent Demise

Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.

_CHAPTER 16:_

Authors Note: I stole and altered an idea from the show a bit. Season 2 Episode 11.

_5 Hours later… 5 Hours 'till Wraith…_

"How did you people not get this?!" I shot up in my chair and gazed over all the Specialized Linguists in the room, "It's a friggin' count down! It's not hard people! Jesus." I stormed off to go talk to Rodney.

I don't think I made many friends just now.

"John!" I buzzed him as I jogged down the halls, "John, it's a countdown."

"A countdown to what? We already calculated how long until their ship reaches us."

"I know! This one's shorter. I'm gunna see if Rodney can do a scan of the city, check for bombs or anything that would help the Wraith, like a scrambler! Or some kind of knockout gas!"

"K, I'll tell Weir."

"Awesome, thanks."

I sprinted down the halls, turning wide around corners to make sure I don't knock people down, or get knocked down.

"Rodney!"

I darted inside the lab and startled the super-scientist.

"What?!"

"The Wraith message, it's a countdown." I explained what I'd just told John and Rodney dashed off to his computer to make some alterations to his scanners in order to pick up on different types of radiation or signals of any kind.

"How would they even get something here? Isn't the shield up?"

There was no vocal answer from Rodney but he did straighten up and stare at the wall before turning to me. "The girl."

My eyes went wide before I mockingly gasped, "Ah! The girl!" I stared a moment, "what girl."

"Last time we hit a Wraith ship, before you got here, we found a girl imprisoned. John took pity on her and when we escaped, she came with us here."

He explained to me all about Wraith Worshippers and how she could be one and possibly brought something on board with her and we didn't notice.

"Goddammit John," I muttered before I radioed him to find 'The Girl'. "Always thinkin' with your goddam pants."

**XXXXX**

_2 Hours later… 3 Hours 'till Wraith…_

I glared at her as she sat in her chair in the cold room we turned into an interrogation room for the moment.

"What's your name? Or should I just call you a dickhole?"

"Anya," she looked at me innocently, "what's a dickhole?"

"It's-" I cut myself off and shook my head, _not what I came here for_, "nevermind. What did you do."

"What d'you mean?"

"Don't play innocent, I know you planted something."

Rodney grabbed her arm and pulled her sleeve up to reveal a small tattoo, "The mark of a worshipper."

She smiled, "It's too late you know." Her voice was light, almost childlike.

"I'll hit you if you don't tell us where and what you've done."

She smiled again, eyes bright with mischief.

I grinded my teeth in frustration. Rodney looked over making a face, "Don't do that, sounds creepy… I can almost feel it in my own mouth."

"Sorry." I stopped.

Rodney looked at the girl, "How about I discuss with Dr. Weir about amnesty for you if you tell us what's going on?"

She sat, staring defiantly with that creepy smile on her face. I couldn't help it, I slapped her. Hard.

"Eeeee!" I heard John squeal behind me, "cat fiiiiiight!"

I turned to look at him, "Oh grow up dude."

With my attention turned, Anya got up and punched me in the face.

"Alright John, wish granted," I swung back to face her, "Fuckin' cat fight."

I jumped her, knocking her to the ground, straddling her on the floor and punched her in the face.

"What did you do to help those freaks?!" Feeling both impressed and afraid of myself, I got up off her. Things shouldn't be done this way, we don't torture people, we're above that.

"The Wraith are gods among men. You shouldn't insult them."

"You disgust me."

John stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders, "Listen to me you little Siren, I have no qualms with tossing you into the water and hitting you with golf balls until you drown or get eaten by whales if you don't speak up right now."

Anya laughed and tipped her head back and with a light sigh she spoke, "Well, you don't have much time now anyways, you can't stop it. It'll shut down _every_thing. Your power source will quit, your shields, even your Jumpers and communicators will shut down. The Wraith will easily fill Atlantis and your world will soon be theirs. You can't stop it."

"Where is it." I demanded.

"No, I know where." Rodney ran off in a dash and radioed Weir on his way.

Anya laughed again as she watched Rodney rip out the door.

"Fuckin' bitch," I mumbled right before I knocked her out with one last right-hook.

**XXXXX**

_1 Hour later… 2 Hours 'till Wraith… 18 Minutes 'till planted scrambler…_

Rodney ran to the ZPM chamber with Zalenka while I ran to the control room to be ready to reboot systems and override the devices downloads when they radioed me that they've found and removed it.

Ronon, and Teyla were prepping themselves and the Jumpers getting ready to fight if the shield failed to reactivate in time.

Woolsey was panicking in a corner.

Beckett had his staff readying his hospital for injuries while he hid samples in safe places where they couldn't be smashed.

And Dr. Weir was strategizing with John in the control room beside me.

I buzzed Rodney, "How long? I followed your instructions and I've got the computer set up for reboot, all I have to do now is press 'Enter'."

"Just a minute!"

"Ugggghhh! Rodney it was _just a minute_ 5 minutes ago!"

"You're not helping!"

_13 Minutes 'till planted scrambler…_

I could feel John staring at me as I jumped from toe to toe nervously, and my suspicions were solidified when he spoke.

"Stop bouncing."

"You stop bouncing!" I snapped back.

"I'm not bouncing!"

Settling down I let out a low growl, and looked at the clock. "It is now… 11 minutes 'till everything in here dies!"

"And then you over ride it right? Stop freakin' out ya freakshow, we've still got a few more hours 'till the Wraith arrive. We'll be ok."

"Only if this thing actually works," I grumbled and went back to bouncing.

"What do you mean?" Weir took a tentative step towards me and I looked up.

"I mean, who knows how their device works, maybe it's rooted itself into the system too deep for a simple reboot." I shook my head, "this isn't Microsoft y'know, it's Wraith."

Dr. Weir scratched her forehead in thought as she turned away from me, "She's right John, who knows if this will work."

"It'll work." He reassured her, "Right terd?"

"Ugh shuttup dickweed."

"You shuttup fartface."

"Tool," I snapped back.

"Hippo."

"You callin' me fat?" I turned with a vicious glare focused on my brother.

"GUYS!" Weir threw her arms out to split us up, "I know you're both stressed, just… step back."

I growled again and started planning out an alternate override in my head, just in case.

_8 Minutes 'till planted scrambler…_

"Ok, I think I have another scheme worked out for the override if this one doesn't work. It'll take about an hour to implement but it should work." I was bouncing on my toes again, still waiting on Rodney's word.

"Good work, Claire." I felt Dr. Weir pat my shoulder appreciatively, it calmed me down a bit and I breathed deep and shut my eyes.

Right as I was beginning to return to a sense of calm, my earpiece buzzed.

"AAHH!" I jumped, startled by the vibration on my ear, "Rodney?!"

"READY! Hit it!"

I slammed my hand down on the 'Enter' button and prayed to whatever god or deity would listen to me. _Please work, please work, please work…_

"Did it work?"

I watched the Wraith codes continue to scroll on the screen next to mine, "Nope." I sighed feeling extremely defeated and got to work on my backup code.

"Great. Well now what." Rodney sounded just as defeated as I did.

"I planned out a backup in my head just in case this happened, problem is, it's gunna take a couple hours to get it goin' and the computer will die in about…" I looked up at the clock, "4 minutes."

"So basically we've got nothing then…"

"Pretty much."

The com was silent for a moment until Rodney piped up again, "Maybe I can sever that single computer from the system, just let it run off battery, long enough for you to get it going. Keep working! I'm coming."

Rodney the super-scientist took only a few moments to sever the computers power source from the main one and it was handed back to me just before the shield cut and all of Atlantis went dark.

"Shit ya, thanks Rodney."

"I'm a hero, I know."

John stepped forward and we could see the Wraith ship's dark shape beginning to form in the distance, "Don't gloat yet buddy." He slapped Rodney on the shoulder all brotherly like as he walked past.

_1.5 Hours 'till Wraith…_

"Screaming won't help yooouuuu." John teased me as I let out little shrieks of annoyance while I typed away at the computer trying my hardest to get my program to work.

"And being stupid won't help you."

"Clever."

"Shuttup."

"John," Weir cut in again, "leave your sister alone."

"Jesus, you really are our mother out here," John muttered before stepping towards the door, "I'm headin' to the Jumpers. Gimme the word when the shield and my ships are back up and runnin'. We'll be ready to give 'em hell."

"Good plan." Weir nodded as John skipped out down the halls.

_1 Hour 'till Wraith attack and human demise…_

"I've almost frickin' got it, just another couple liiiiiines," I whined to myself as I panicked at my computer in the dark.

The Wraith Hive was in full view by now and we could see small darts departing and starting their own, faster, voyage towards us.

"Weir we've got a problem."

"Talk to me John," she took a couple steps away so she could hear over my cursing and muttering.

"Well about 6 darts have made it through so far and are gettin' ready to light the place up. She ready yet?"

"Almost John, get in the Jumpers, get yourselves ready and get ground forces ready around the city."

"Already done."

"Frick, frick, frick, frickity friiiick, aaaaand YES!" I threw my arms up in the air and shouted to be heard through Weir's com, "John! You've got the Shield and Jumpers now!"

"You're a fantastic dork! Now arm yourself nerd, they don't go down easy."

"Roger that, dipshit!"


	17. Ch 17 So Dead

Stargate: Atlantis. Siblings.

_CHAPTER 17:_

Not being any kind of a fighter, I stayed in the control room with Dr. Weir monitoring power levels and watching the scanners to call out Wraith locations to our ground teams.

I still feel pretty badass. Like Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. except I have my own Avengers. I dazed off for a moment, matching Avengers with my guys in my head… I can't decide if Ronon would be Thor or the Hulk. 'Cause Thor's super hot n' badass but the Hulks a massive, rage machine, killer. Maybe he's both? Hulk AND Thor… Hor? Nah that sounds bad… Just imagine how many Wraith Thor could take down with one lightning bolt- _SHIT right, the Wraith…_

Only 6 Darts got through before the shield reconnected, but each Dart beamed down at least 5 soldiers each. So at the moment, Atlantis has approximately 30 Wraith running around eating people and 6 Darts zippin' about shootin' at us, not to mention the ever-looming presence of two entire Hive ships still dispatching more Darts trying to wear down our shields.

Rodney was scattering from computer to computer trying to transfer all available power to hold up the shield against their attacks.

It took me a moment to shake away the dark thoughts of them breaking through and destroying everything and get back to my work. _Why did I come here?!_

"Claire?"

Rodney's voice echoed in my head, "Huh? Ya? Oh, hey, whatsup?"

"I need you to run to the lab and get my laptop."

My face went blank and albino white.

"Out there?" I pointed to the door.

"Ya, here," he passed me another gun, "shoot lots."

"Oooooh sweet baby Jesus I'm gunna die." I crammed the spare gun in my other holster and Weir took over my spot.

"I hate my life." I mumbled as I ran out and scuttled around corners and doorways trying to reach my destination without being murdered.

_Ok. Remember, you kicked a Genii soldier in the face… that was easy right? This is the exact same._

I tried to convince myself I was fine but the nagging, negative side of me also had its words.

_Ya, a Genii soldier that was an absolute moron. Wraith have mouths on their hands! They'll fuck shit up like it's nobody's business! You're hooped. Just lie down and pretend to be dead maybe they'll step over you._

"Goddammit head, shuttup." I mumbled to myself and glanced around the corner to see 3 Wraith soldiers heading my way. "Ok, maybe my heads right. Just lie down, you'll be fine."

I picked a good corner and slid down amongst a few other bodies (_eewww squirm),_ bit my bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed, closed my eyes and dropped my gun to the side as if I'd been shot or beaten.

_Frick, frick, frick, frick, frickity frick,I'm frickin dead, frick… friiiiick?_

I peered through one eye, "No shit…" I smiled as I watched them turn the corner ahead of me, "cool, good job brain."

I finally reached the lab and grabbed Rodney's computer, I radioed him to let him know before I started my adventure back to the control room.

I feel like 007, holding my gun upwards by my face as I rounded corners, and barrel rolled behind crates, and crept down hallways. Kinda fun actually. At least I thought it was fun until I got spotted.

_Can't act dead holding a computer and yelping! Aim gun, AIM GUN!_

I aimed at one and shot, 3 points right in the face where his helmet didn't cover. "Score!"

Two left, both heading right towards me. I spun back behind a wall as I was shot at and then peeked out again and shot another couple times as cover and sprinted off down the hall.

I tried to calm myself by humming the 007 theme song in my head, make myself feel like it's a game, but it didn't work as well as I'd hoped when I got cornered by another 2 down the hall.

"AAH!" I ducked as they both shot at me and when I looked around, noticed they had shot the other 2 Wraiths that were following me before!

"Well how 'bout that…" I mused to myself before remembering the 2 standing in front of me.

I shot, focussing on one only, but was knocked down by the second. The laptop swirled across the hall away from me and I dove towards it, fortunately that also dodged a hit by the Wraith.

To my absolute luck and surprise, a ground team had heard my shrieks and gunfire and sprinted around the corner absolutely destroying the Wraith soldiers.

"Hooooooooly crap I love you guys!"

Major Lorne looked at my shaking body and then to Rodney's laptop and back up to my face, "Rodney sending you on death missions?"

"Definitely," my breathing was fast and I could feel the sweat of panic covering my body.

"Want an escort back?"

"Most definitely, yes please." I almost collapsed on myself in relief as Lorne and his team guided me back and left me at the control room.

"Good luck, be careful. And thank you so so much." I felt a huge wave of all emotions possible for one human being and hugged Lorne before he left.

After that, I sauntered back over to Rodney, exhausted and shocked beyond belief. _So this is what my brother's been up to…_

"Here." I passed Rodney his laptop before collapsing and sagging like a bag of milk onto the chair beside him, "Never. Ever. Again."

Now that I know what's out there, all I could think of was Ronon and my brother. Are they ok? Are they hurt? I started panicking again.

_Ok Claire, you're turning into a serious buzzkill here. Perk up and help._

With a deep breath I pushed myself up and wiped my mind clear, "Ok Rodniss, whaddya need?"

**XXXXX**

"Holy fucking hell," my voice was ragged and my body shook slightly as I ran to Ronon and kissed him, "you're ok," I let my breath go and just smiled, touching my forehead to his in contentment, "you're ok," I repeated, grabbing his face once again to kiss him.

His arms wrapped around me, keeping me up at his level as he nuzzled his face into my neck and whispered, "and you're ok," and kissed me just behind my ear.

I was definitely happy to be feeling safe amongst people of my own race but there was still one problem, "Where's John?"

Ronon looked around, "And Teyla?"

Rodney snatched up his scanner and found them on the east pier. "John. Teyla. D'you copy?"

"Yea, we're fine," just hearing his voice through the com was enough to let me breathe again. "Just crashed the Jumper, that's all.

"HAH! Loser," I threw my arms up in the air at the thought of him crashing a jumper, "now I get to tease YOU!" I started doing a little happy dance until I heard him again.

"At least I was SHOT down and DIDN'T smash a house because I'm an IDIOT!"

I stopped dancing and glared at Rodney's earpiece as if it were John himself. "Call me an idiot again, I dare you. Cause I will retaliate! I just SAVED YOUR LIFE! …AGAIN!" I lifted my hand to my ear as if it were a phone, "Hello shield? Ya, it's Claire calling, just wondering if you're on… oh you are? Oh good! Oooohhh you're welcome, it was nothing really, just a series of algorithms and intense genius abilities on my part."

"Claire."

I turned to Weir and silently hung up my make-believe phone as she gave me a stern look that was definitely telling me to shuttup.

John continued shortly after that, "Teyla's with me, she's good too, but I think we're gunna head to Beckett just in case all this blood isn't normal."

Sarcasm. Nice John.

"You got Claire with you I hear, she good?"

"Ya she's here, she's fine."

I piped up through my communicator, "Rodney sent me on a death mission!"

"Meh, you lived."

I growled, best brother ever.

"Claire, I need you to do something." John sounds more injured than he's letting on.

"Whatsup? Need a hand to the Med Bay, Crashy McCrasherton?"

"Hah. Yes. Clever. Because I crashed a Jumper. No, but you should go get some more samples." I glared at the wall this time, as if it were John.

Already feeling so shook up from the entire situation and my little adventure I really did not want to go off on my own again.

"I hate you."

"There's one in the caf." He smiled, feeling quite pleased with ordering me around.

"Is anyone at least coming with me?"

"All personnel are pretty booked up, you'll be fiiiiine. Take another gun if it makes ya feel better but they're all dead."

"But when I crouch the gun jabs my stomach!" I pouted through my complaints as I took a new gun and crammed it into my holster.

"Then stop eating so many donuts, you're not a cop."

"What's with all the fat jokes?! I'm not the one who-"

"Claire!"

"Sorry," My head lowered and I bit my tongue under Weir's piercing gaze.

John ignored me and turned his attention to Rodney to tell him to get to where he was, there was a crashed Dart beside him, ready for examining. "Maybe bring Ronon, he can carry the heavy stuff for ya."

"Ugh." I stomped off like a child towards the cafeteria where a single dead Wraith lay. "I wanted Ronooooonnnnn," I grumbled to myself.

Several Wraith lay dead on Atlantis but this fella' was the closest. When I got to the cafeteria I stubbornly left my gun on the windowsill and crouched next to the dead Wraith to scrape off some more samples before the host died completely. I began to relax and felt a little more at ease until a dark shadow cast itself over myself and the body.

I didn't even think, I just ran to the side to get away and immediately hit my communicator to yell, "John I hate you so much!"

I attempted to run from the Wraith. In my haste, my com had fallen to the floor and I'm sure the last thing John heard was me screaming.

The Wraith came closer, I panicked and turned to kick his gun from his hands as he charged me. At least he won't have that advantage.

_Fuck my life, fuck my life, I'm gunna die, this is the end, fuck my life_. My thoughts were definitely not positive as the Wraith slowed down and menacingly stalked me out like prey.

_Of all places to die, why the cafeteria? So not glamorous._

I scrambled backwards and jumped to the side, putting a table between the Wraith and myself and pushed hard on it, pinning him between it and the table behind him. Using that extra moment I scrambled around to a few tables away.

My table trick was not nearly as effective as I'd hoped though, he just pushed it away as if it was a small child blocking his path. _Although, if it really was a small child he probably would have eaten it first… or sucked it up or whatever… that came out wrong… dammit think!_

I looked down at the table and saw the salt n' pepper shakers.

"HAH!" I yelled dramatically as I tossed a handful of salt at the Wraith and turned to run. _Ya never know, maybe it'll work?_

It ran after me, completely unaffected by my salt trick. _Dammit. Not a slug._

Knowing the Wraith was faster I dodged behind another table thinking I was safe for another moment but unfortunately he jumped on top of the table.

Being so close again to a live Wraith made my heart race, I thought I was gunna have a heart attack.

He reached out to grab my throat but I ducked and slid under the table and crawled to the next where I saw my fallen earpiece hiding beside a chair leg.

I tucked it onto my ear with all intention of shrieking for help but was smashed in the face by a thrown chair.

I shook my head trying to get my vision back fast enough and as the Wraith reached its palm out for my chest I grabbed a broken chair leg and smashed him in the face.

"Doesn't feel nice does it asshole!" I scrambled to my feet again and turned to run but my luck ran out and he grabbed a thick handful of my hair and threw me against the table adjacent to us.

"Fuck, broken ribs…" I staggered backwards and fell onto my hands and knees as I held onto my ribs, mumbling to myself. The most painful expression (and a lot of head-blood) was smeared all over my face, I could feel it, and I lowered my head and tipped backwards to sit on my butt.

The Wraiths face was covered in a malicious grin, clearly excited to feast.

"Fuckin' shitheaded fishy lookin' piece of shit." I kicked up and made contact with my boot into his chin as hard as I could and with my limbs flying everywhere, I clambered up and tried to run again. I could see my gun on the window ledge only a few tables away, "Come ooooon!"

My ankle was grabbed as I stumbled in my haste to get to my gun, the Wraith pulled me back again and my face smashed on the floor as I fell.

"Your defiance will be very satisfactory," his voice hissed out as he spoke to me and my eyes widened, "your heart is strong, I can tell. Hunting you has made this even more satisfying."

I shut my eyes tight and screamed as his hand made contact with my chest, but only seconds later I heard the powerful blast of a gun. My eyes shot open as the Wraith smashed backwards into a table, I noticed the red light lingering in the air in front of me. "Ronon!" I yelled and scrambled under a nearby table.

He shot again, and again, as the Wraith tried to get up and reach towards him until he finally fell to the floor with a final hiss. I stared in shock at the dead Wraith, his mouth was wide open as if he was about to scream and I finally got a close look at his eyes. The pupils were almost diamond shaped. I pulled back and scrunched my nose, he looks like a cross between a creepy clown and a squid. I hate clowns. And now I hate squids.

Ronon ran over and wrapped an arm around my waist to help me up. Once again, I was limping, my face was dripping blood and forming bruises, and my ribs were smashed to hell.

"Always gettin' hurt," Ronon spoke mockingly as he carried me off, his gun in one hand, me in the other.

"Thank you." I craned my face upwards as much as I could to kiss his neck and saw him smile at the feeling.

He pressed his own finger to his earpiece and spoke, no doubt to John. "I've got her. We're heading to Beckett."

I heard John on the other end, "She alright?"

Ronon looked down at my dishevelled form, "Nothin' a lil' tape can't handle."

"Alright, meet you there."

I looked up at Ronon, "Tape? Really? Dude, I look like shit! I haven't even seen myself but I can feel my body ballooning everywhere, I'm covered in blood… I'll probably look like a squashed radish pretty soon!"

"What's a radish?"

"A red vegetable, its fat."

"Ahh."

Ronon grinned down at me, "I'm glad you're alright."

"I'm glad I've got you." I smiled up at him as we grabbed my gun from the windowsill and headed to the Medical Bay.


End file.
